Hollow Earth (Hollow Earth #1)

May 09, 2013 Jo Bennie rated it 4 of 5 stars

13 year old twins Matt and Emily Calder are in the National Gallery in London and they are bored, it's summer, it's hot, their mother is talking to someone and they just want to go swimming. Seurat's Bathers at Asnieres is tormenting with them with its vision of people dozing in the sun on the banks of the Seine. They take out a drawing pad to entertain themselves, but these children are extraordinary. As they draw their picture it comes to life and they get the swim they wanted, and a world of...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Amber Ditullio rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, teen-books, borrowed-from-library

I first found John Barrowman through Doctor Who. He played the sexy, omni-sexual Captain Jack. I watched him through his appearances in that show and the spin-off show, Torchwood. I started looking up things about him online. And, recently, I picked up his first autobiography, Anything Goes. Reading it made me realize even more what a talented, funny and great man he was. And as I was looking for more things by or about him, I found that he and his sister, Carole, had written a YA Fantasy book....more I first found John Barrowman through Doctor Who. He played the sexy, omni-sexual Captain Jack. I watched him through his appearances in that show and the spin-off show, Torchwood. I started looking up things about him online. And, recently, I picked up his first autobiography, Anything Goes. Reading it made me realize even more what a talented, funny and great man he was. And as I was looking for more things by or about him, I found that he and his sister, Carole, had written a YA Fantasy book. For all that I'd seen his creativity in his acting and on the stage, I was curious if he'd have the same amount of creativity in a fantasy novel. And the answer was "yes".

Hollow Earth is the story of a pair of twins with a very special gift - the ability to make their art come to life. The are what is known as Animare - a group of superbly talented artists going back centuries at least with this ability. But when, at the start of the book, they are rushed out of London by their mother to their grandfather's home in Scotland, they've start to realize that there's a whole lot more happening than they could have ever expected. Everyone wants them - and they need to find out why before it's too late.

A majority of the story takes place in modern day, with occasional flashbacks to the middle ages and another boy who apprenticed under a monk with these same abilities. At first, it's an interesting look into the past but, beyond them both involving Animare, it didn't seem to have much to do with the story in the present. By the end of the book, however, it became necessary for the plot in the present. I am curious, however, if we'll see more of Solon (the character from the past) in the future books.

I enjoyed watching Emily and Matt (the twins) power grow as they progressed through the story. I could relate to their frustrations knowing that adults around them refused to trust them with what was happening around them. I couldn't blame them some of the risks they were taking with their power. I also really liked the bond that was growing between Emily and Zach, the son of an old friend of their parents. Zach is training to become a Guardian - one who bonds with an Animare to help keep them safe from the world and the world safe from them (since the powers can get pretty dangerous). I also thought it very believable that both the kids and the adults thought they were getting one over on the other generation, only to be partially successful.

There were some times when I felt that the characters weren't quite as deep as I would have liked. Matt, in particular, had a lot of moments where he seemed only like an angry young boy. But by the end of the book, even that was smoothed out some and we were able to see more of who he was.

In closing, while this wasn't the best book that I've read this year, it was a very enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the saga, The Bone Quill, due out in February. Because the Barrowmans did an excellent job in tying up the immediate loose ends while leaving more than enough questions to pull you in for the next ride.(less)

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May 19, 2012 Sian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, paranormal, teenage, thriller

I loved this book. I admit to purchasing it because it had John Barrowman's name on the cover, but as soon as I started reading I was entranced by this book. It's a great read. I've read some of the other reviews saying it's the next Harry Potter... but I don't think there will be another Harry Potter. This instead is a great start to a new trilogy, and reminded me more of Under The Mountain by Maurice Gee than HP.
I read this book in one sitting, I couldn't put it down, and now that I've finishe...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Erika rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-fix-review, inspiration

Why is it that whenever I read a book about siblings, I always find myself hating the girl?
There's just something about Em in this book that I don't like, maybe it's because she reminds me too much of some people at my school, I dunno.
Anywhoo Doctor Who, the book was great, it was a bit confusing at first but when you read on a bit further, the world of Guardians and Animares seems as real as the computer screen you're reading this sucky review on.
Aside from Em, the one thing that bothered was h...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Ms. Library added it · review of another edition

3 stars.

I wanted to like this so much more than I ended up liking it, but there were several issues that plagued the book.

I would like to talk about the concept first, and the fact that it was really interesting.

Em and Matt are twins, and they have special powers. They can make things come to life when they draw them, using the power of their imaginations. They can even go in and out of paintings. The Animare (or people who can animate paintings) are helped by Guardians, who help them keep th...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Lucinda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fueled by electric tension this exciting, fantasy adventure will have you glued to the pages!

This captivating, compelling epic tale is a nail-bitingly brilliant page-turner that blew me away by the inspired plot. Utterly fascinating, I was most intrigued by the sinister forces and mixture of myth, fable and fantastical vision that captures your imagination. Character-driven, twins Matt and Emily Calder whisk you away into a world of danger and the unexpected that is ‘Hollow Earth’. Childhood dr...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Darren Hartwell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, action, adventure

Usually when a celeb writes a book there is something of a fanfare but if there was a lot of hype running up to the release of this book then I missed it all. I only heard about it through my mother-in-law who mentioned that she has see John Barrowman talking about it in a TV interview. On the very next day we had several pupils ask if we were going to be buying it for the library. Feeling something of a failure I did a little online digging and contacted its publisher, Buster Books, who very ki...more Usually when a celeb writes a book there is something of a fanfare but if there was a lot of hype running up to the release of this book then I missed it all. I only heard about it through my mother-in-law who mentioned that she has see John Barrowman talking about it in a TV interview. On the very next day we had several pupils ask if we were going to be buying it for the library. Feeling something of a failure I did a little online digging and contacted its publisher, Buster Books, who very kindly sent me a copy to review.

I like John Barrowman. He always comes across as a really nice (if somewhat manic) guy when I watch him interviewed on TV, and I loved his Captain Jack character in Doctor Who and Torchwood (although like many others I was disappointed with Miracle Day). I had high hopes for this book being more than just another celebrity-cashes-in-on-the-children's-book-market as my research showed me that a) it was a product of John's crazy imagination and b) Carole E. Barrowman, the book's co-author has been teaching English and Creative Writing for more than twenty years and is also a journalist. I am happy to report that I was not disappointed - in fact, I read it in a single sitting.

Hollow Earth tells the story of twins Matt and Emily Calder, a pair of children who have an incredible power - they can make art come to life. Through the power of their imaginations, anything they draw will come into being, and they can also enter paintings or make/allow others to enter paintings. They are not the first to possess these abilities - they are the latest in a long history of equally gifted people known as Animare - but they could potentially be the most powerful Animare of all time. The reason for this is that their mother is an Animare, and their long-missing father a Guardian (people tasked with protecting Animare and creating a psychic bond that helps them keep their powers under control). Ancient laws forbid the two from ever having children together, but sometimes ancient laws are broken (i.e. the twins' parents were a little but naughty). Now that the twins are approaching their teens their powers seem to be growing, and of course someone notices, tells someone else, and before we know it the twins and their mother, Sandie, are having to escape from London for the sanctuary of their grandfather's Abbey stronghold, on a small Scottish island.

I gather that some reviewers have started to suggest that this could be the new Harry Potter. It isn't - when will people realise that there will never be another Harry Potter? However, when Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was first published (before all the hype and success) reviewers praised it for being a magical story about good versus evil. And that is exactly what Hollow Earth is. To compare any book using Rowling's series as the yardstick is unfair, and it makes my blood boil when reviewers do this. If Harry Potter had never existed we would be comparing Hollow Earth to the likes of Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising books, or the many books of the late, great Diana Wynne Jones, and I believe it would stand up pretty well in this respect.

One thing that really jumped out at me from the pages of Hollow Earth is just how passionate the Barrowman's are about art. From when we first meet the twins, sitting in the National Gallery in front of Georges Seurat's Bathers at Asnières waiting impatiently for their mother, to quotes by William Blake and a cheeky revelation about Vincent Van Gogh, art is more than just a bystander in this story. The authors' love of art resonates throughout the story, and I would imagine that it will have huge appeal to any young person who shares this fascination with painting and drawing. I also feel that it will encourage many more children to explore the arts for themselves.

This book is not perfect though. I understand that the Barrowman's spent the early parts of their lives living in Scotland (hence the story's setting, I am guessing), but the bulk of their lives have been spent in the USA. Unfortunately this has led to more than a handful of Americanisms appearing in their writing. I'm sorry, but when a story is set in Britain with British characters I personally become something of a snob and prefer 'proper' English. Others may totally disagree with me, including perhaps many of this book's target audience. Secondly, the whole Hollow Earth thing. The title refers to "a place where all the devils, demons and monsters ever imagined lie trapped for eternity". And yet, this 'place' is not as integral a part of the story as I had expected/hoped for. I have managed to track down the interview that John Barrowman did on This Morning, and he explains that this is the first in (hopefully) a trilogy. If this is so then he and his sister have done a perfectly good job of establishing the characters, their back-stories and the concept of the Animare and their Guardians, but in the second instalment I am fully expecting there to be much more about this mythical Hollow Earth 'place'. Please.

As the first in a series, the ending of Hollow Earth leaves us with a number of loose ends. However, it does not leave us dangling with a nasty cliffhanger (thank you Barrowmans), and the story is brought to a satisfying conclusion. I don't think it will be to everyone's taste, but what book is? After all, I know a number of kids and adults who really cannot stand Harry Potter. However, if your 10+ child loves stories full of ancient magic and mystery then it is well worth adding Hollow Earth to their collection.(less)

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May 03, 2013 Mieneke rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, children-s, fantasy

When I first was approached about reviewing Hollow Earth and its successor, Bone Quill, what first struck me was the name John Barrowman. Someone I only knew from British television as a musical star and the star of Torchwood, I was surprised to find he was also a writer. The book is co-written with his sister – which wow, I think if I tried that with my siblings we'd have probably done our heads in after two chapters, so kudos for that – and is in fact more middle grade than YA, but even if I d...more When I first was approached about reviewing Hollow Earth and its successor, Bone Quill, what first struck me was the name John Barrowman. Someone I only knew from British television as a musical star and the star of Torchwood, I was surprised to find he was also a writer. The book is co-written with his sister – which wow, I think if I tried that with my siblings we'd have probably done our heads in after two chapters, so kudos for that – and is in fact more middle grade than YA, but even if I don't read and review them as often I really enjoy well-written children's books, so here we are. And I'm glad to be here because I spend an entirely enjoyable afternoon in the company of Matt and Em and the rest of the cast immersed in an adventure that feels like an modernised version of what I hazily remember of Enid Blyton's Famous Five books – it's been a few decades since I read her work – and has an exciting supernatural component.

Hollow Earth's premise of Animare, gifted people that can bring their drawings to life, and Guardians, the people who need to protect the Animare from the world and the world from the Animare, was intriguing and I really liked how the authors pulled this out into history, by having some of the most famous painters in history be Animare. Even if they don't animate their work, the magical energy they put into painting gives their work that magical sparkle that sets it apart from regular artists. The idea that all the monsters ever created by the Animare are gathered together and imprisoned in the Hollow Earth is quite scary; it's like having a giant closet filled with the monsters-under-your-bed you always thought weren't real. While the Animare powers are quickly revealed and explained to the reader, the exact powers of the Guardians are still rather, elusive, something which I like, since it still leaves some of the magic to be discovered in the following books. The island setting added to the atmosphere, as it created an easily overseen field of action and even if access to the island was by scheduled ferry and people move off and on the island quite easily, it still made it seem as if there were clear borders between the world of the island and the rest of the world.

Our protagonists Em and Matt are joined by Zach, a teenager already living at the Abbey, their grandfather's estate. I loved this little gang of three. They each have their own skills, abilities and character traits, but they for a solid whole. Matt's rebelliousness rather left Hollow Earth open to falling into the trap novels with young protagonists often get stuck in, namely that of not telling an adult what you are doing, but going blithely off to deal with a problem on your own. This just frustrates me enormously, but then again, that might be my parent brain thinking. He's also quite a strong animare and a little reckless with it. Em on the other hand is developing Guardian powers early. This also left me a bit conflicted, because while they are some very cool skills, mostly telepathy and empathy, I did find it a little typical that the girl got the abilities connected to emotions early and not the boy, but otherwise I like that they each have their thing. Zach is also going to be a Guardian and is able to communicate telepathically with Em. Zach is also deaf from birth. I love how this was worked into the narrative; it's part of who he is, but any potential communication problems are naturally solved by the telepathy and technology. Also his skills, both those connected to his loss of hearing and his computer skills are actually used to further the, plot which was cool. One thing I really loved about this story was the bond between the kids and their parents. Em, Matt, and Sandie are a cohesive family unit and she's very much in the picture, even if the kids manage to sneak off while she's working. Similarly, Zach's father clearly loves him beyond anything and it's very much returned by Zach. Even if both families aren't traditional family units, they show that this doesn't mean a family has to be dysfunctional.

I found the adults in the novel quite interesting. They definitely weren't just there to provide transportation, money or the semblance of parental units; they were integral to the story and the plot. The more political aspects of the story, embodied in the politicking of the different factions, the Council of Guardians, the Society of the Hollow Earth, and those at the Abbey were intriguing and left me wondering about what had gone before to create these societies. The way the kids picked up on the adults' interactions and the tensions between some of them was also well done, as I'm of the school of thought that kids pick up a lot of stuff unconsciously and are often far more aware of what is going on than we give them credit for. Our intrepid trio definitely pick up on the interplay between Sandie and Mara, Sandie and Vaughn, and Simon and Mara, and aren't afraid to comment on it, if only amongst themselves. I love the bond they have with Grandpa and the way that their getting to know him leads to one of the clues to their solving the problem.

Hollow Earth is an exciting adventure story, mixed with some quite interesting magic, mystery, and mythology. The latter of which is shown to the reader in flashbacks to the Middle Ages and to the young animare scribe Solon. His story and the resolution of his story are crucial to the ending of this book's main crisis, though at one point all I could think was OMG their patronus is a peryton! And while I picked some of the twists up quite far in advance, this might also have been due to the fact I'm not a middle-grader. Overall Hollow Earth was quite enjoyable and I'm looking forward to starting its sequel Bone Quill. Look for a review of that next week.

This book was provided for review by the publisher.(less)

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Feb 12, 2012 Hil rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: challenge2012, twins

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Really really enjoyed this. It had so many good plot elements that I enjoy, just as psychic twins and drawings that come alive. I'm hoping (assuming) that there will be more to come as there are questions left unanswered. I just love the idea of them drawing their imaginations to life - what a brilliant super-ability to have! I thought the part where she had no paper or pen and so drew on his imagination directly using her own imagination was a great idea! There's lots of family secrets to be re...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Sierra B. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens, adventure, library, fantasy

I picked up this book because the cover and front flap interested me. When I got around to reading it the first few chapters almost made me put the book down. Why? Because they were confusing and made hardly any sense at all! After maybe a dozen or more chapters everything started clearing out.

The story is that two children, Em and Matt, who are twins have amazing abilities that have never existed before. A Guardian and an Animare had children, which had been forbidden. Matt and Em are the resul...more I picked up this book because the cover and front flap interested me. When I got around to reading it the first few chapters almost made me put the book down. Why? Because they were confusing and made hardly any sense at all! After maybe a dozen or more chapters everything started clearing out.

The story is that two children, Em and Matt, who are twins have amazing abilities that have never existed before. A Guardian and an Animare had children, which had been forbidden. Matt and Em are the results. They can animate their drawings at a remarkably young age and with great power! Each one is unique and unlike anything the other Guardians and Animares have seen.

The rest of the Animares and Guardians are divided about what to do with them. Some think they should be bound and their power taken away. Some think that they are just children who should be given a chance. While their future is being decided the children escaped capture and are staying with their Grandfather now. Who is teaching them about who they are and why they have these powers.

The idea is a good one and, with the exception of the beginning, the plot is interesting and pretty complex. The ending was really good, interesting and exciting! I really liked the idea of Animares animating things like paintings and drawings with their imagination. It's a pretty cool idea :)

The characters were interesting although a few did bug me and at first I couldn't get a good feel of how old the twins were. At the first third or so maybe, they sounded maybe 10. Then as it got around the halfway mark they "aged up". There was Zach who was a cool character who was deaf. And Em was sweet. Matt was a bit annoying and Simon (Zach's dad) was a great Guardian.

Overall, I liked the story and everything once it got going. And the ending was great :) Not the best book I've read and that may partly be because it's a middle grade book but whatever. I would recommend to tweens who enjoy adventure and fantasy!

Content wise there was one bad word I believe, some violence and creepy things. Killing, injuries, and being able to animate things.(less)

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Oct 14, 2012 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

As an adult reading the novel, I thought it was brilliantly written for an children's audience. The chapters within the novel are understandably quite short, especially useful for keeping the demographic interest within it. As well as being useful for the child's interest, it also enables teachers the ability to read a few chapters with the child when hearing them read instead of having to stop them reading half way through a chapter which can be frustrating within children's novels.

The plot of...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Jessikah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Solid 3 Stars
Oh, how I wanted to love this book! As a John Barrowman fan, I am well aware of how talented the man is. I really wanted that talent to carry over into his first children's novel. Not only was it getting good press, but he wrote it with his sister which is quite endearing.

I did not love this book. I liked a lot of it. I did not hate it. I also did not love it. The story is interesting enough. Twins Matt and Em discover that their ability to animate artwork that they create is due to...more Solid 3 Stars
Oh, how I wanted to love this book! As a John Barrowman fan, I am well aware of how talented the man is. I really wanted that talent to carry over into his first children's novel. Not only was it getting good press, but he wrote it with his sister which is quite endearing.

I did not love this book. I liked a lot of it. I did not hate it. I also did not love it. The story is interesting enough. Twins Matt and Em discover that their ability to animate artwork that they create is due to their heritage as Animare. As mentioned in their abilities, Animare...animate their artwork. They are also naturally talented artists and many famous names in art history have been Animare. Van gough, for instance, was an Animare. However, these abilities come with a price.

Sometimes Animare become power hungry or warped by their art. When this happens, a council of people called Guardians, who have powers meant to keep Animare in check bind the offender to one of their art works. When the story opens, Matt and Em are on the Guardian hit list. We discover that their mother, another Animare, broke a rule of the council by having children with a Guardian, giving the twins abilities of both.

Furthermore, there is chatter of the return of a sinister group called, "The Hollow Earth Society", which believes that creatures created in the artwork of the Animare lives within the Earth wrapped up in another dimension. Anyway, Sandie, the mother of the twins spirits them away to an island in Scottland, where their Guardian Grandfather can protect them from those who wish to harm them. Mayhem ensues.

While there is some real inventive qualities of this story, the major problems I had with it were in pacing, language and characterization. Until the very end, the story seems to lag far more than it should. Part of this I attribute to my second problem with the book. Language. Most of the action reads like directions. We are told what the twins and their friends do and how they feel, but nothing in the language gives a sense of realism. The phrase, "show, don't tell" rang in my ears throughout a majority of the action.

Last, characterization. The twins, who are supposed to be nearly 13, behave as if they are a good three years young. I simply could not get a good sense of who they are through their words and actions. I barely bought their affection for their mother, grandfather or even for one another. I read the words, yes, but the emotion behind them felt flimsy.

Still, I would not write this off as a total loss. As mentioned, the premise is interesting enough. Also, the chapters are short, making this a good choice for fantasy fans intimidated by long winded prose. Hopefully the Barrowman siblings are simply cutting their teeth here and will follow up this work with a sequel worthy of their talent. Maybe that is just a fan's wishful thinking. (less)

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Jan 25, 2013 Shiloh (SnarkyWriter) marked it as couldnt-finish · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, edelweiss

I'm not giving this book any stars partly because I didn't finish it and partly because I'm not sure what I think of it.

I really wanted to like Hollow Earth, mostly because I'm a huge Barrowman fan and I think it's awesome that he's also contributing to literature, especially for children. Also, the concept was really interesting--people born with the ability to adjust reality with their art, other people who can help them control these abilities, and yet more people who want to lock the abiliti...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Petty Witter rated it 4 of 5 stars

A debut novel by all round entertainer John Barrowman and his English teacher sister Carole and what a book it is.

An interesting cover, don't you think? I've heard it said on several blogs that girls are put off the book thinking that it will be too 'boyish'. Not personally to my taste I admit but hey if boys are picking it up and reading it because they like the cover then it has my vote. Not that it is in any way a boys book, this will appeal to lots of readers and not just the young adults t...more A debut novel by all round entertainer John Barrowman and his English teacher sister Carole and what a book it is.

An interesting cover, don't you think? I've heard it said on several blogs that girls are put off the book thinking that it will be too 'boyish'. Not personally to my taste I admit but hey if boys are picking it up and reading it because they like the cover then it has my vote. Not that it is in any way a boys book, this will appeal to lots of readers and not just the young adults to whom it is aimed.

Mainly the tale of not quite teenage twins Matt and Emily and their friends, including Zach, all of whom have special powers including the ability to bring art to life, to enter paintings at will, the story also dips back in time to a Monastery in the Middle Ages.

Hmm, Animares? Not a super power I had heard of before (a totally new concept as far as I'm aware) but certainly one which appealed to me. Fresh, exciting and with plenty of scope this gives a whole new outlook to a genre that is quite simply full to overflowing.

As for the characters? Well observed, as much care was taken with the secondary characters as with the main ones. I liked the twins (Emily more so than Matt) but I loved Zach. A deaf teenager I felt it was great that John and Carole chose to feature someone that little bit different, someone, it could be argued, that was not generally seen as the first choice for a main character, but felt that he had a lot more potential than we saw here.

So, so much more than a novel envisaged/penned by your average celebrity - I believe it is John's imagination and sense of fun combined with the high quality of writing (much of which I'm presuming is Carole's) that makes Hollow Earth such a good read. Fast paced and action packed from page one, this makes for an exciting read with lots of twists and turns, I eagerly await part two of what I believe is a three book deal as I believe that this first instalment only skimmed the surface and there is better to come.(less)

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Mar 12, 2013 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun read. I plan on reading this one with my soon to be 8 year old daughter next. This is the kind of book I know she will enjoy, and its just a bit beyond her own reading level. The characters are realistic, and since they are Matt and Em like my son and daughter it added to the fun of reading the book. In some ways the kids were a bit too realistic and I found myself thinking that they should be reined in a bit, but that would have taken away from the story I know. But as a parent s...more This was a fun read. I plan on reading this one with my soon to be 8 year old daughter next. This is the kind of book I know she will enjoy, and its just a bit beyond her own reading level. The characters are realistic, and since they are Matt and Em like my son and daughter it added to the fun of reading the book. In some ways the kids were a bit too realistic and I found myself thinking that they should be reined in a bit, but that would have taken away from the story I know. But as a parent some of the things these kids got away with are things my two know better than to even try, so I found that a bit distracting. But all in all this is a good young tween type book, there is plenty of action, kids going off on their own and getting into trouble with little to no actual consequences. There are several holes in the story that I would have like to see answered in this book, and I hope that they are answered in the next book of this series. The concept of a magic user type person with a guardian is an interesting concept, the guardian can keep the magic user on track and be a protector while they work. I look forward to seeing how Matt, Em and Zack grow in the next book. I hope that as they age they learn some maturity and try not to be so impulsive and just looking towards their interests and instead towards other people. I think the entitlement and me, me, me attitude that the kids showed in this book is what bugged me the most. They hardly ever seemed to follow their elders rules, thinking that at 12 almost 13 they knew better what was good for them. And I know that a younger reader will relish in that and enjoy the fact that these characters are doing what they themselves want to do. For me the subject matter is what kept me reading and overlooking the parts that annoyed me, And I look forward to reading the next in the series hoping that age and maturity will get rid of the annoying factors.

This book was provided to me by the publisher via Edelweiss. The rating, review, and all opinions are my own(less)

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Jun 11, 2013 Christopher rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, read-to-may

So are Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone knock-off's their own gengre at this point? Pre-teen kids with amazing powers whisked-off from thier homes to amazing castles where wise old men teach them of their powers and inform them of their dangerous family history!

From a technical standpoint I have issues with this book. The writing just cannot seem to settle on a POV. Some pulpy tropes are tossed-out so quickly that you end up assuming the details (of course, if Zach can hear Em in his head,...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Martin Belcher rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

I don't normally read YA fiction, but I'm a big fan of John Barrowman and when I saw John and his sister, Carole discussing their new book Hollow Earth on TV Book Club on More4 Channel in UK, I was intrigued and wanted to give it a try.

Hollow Earth is a story about two impressively gifted children, twins, Matt and Emily Calder, they are Animares, people that can draw art which then comes to life. They can jump into their own artwork and bring creatures or objects they have drawn alive. Along wit...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars

John Barrowman is good at pretty much everything and I doubted he could write a decent children's novel, even with his sister's help. Apparently he can. The story is about twins Em and Matt who are animare and have the power to animate things they draw in real life. They're not the only ones though and there's lots of secret plots and you're not really sure who's good and who's bad.

It's a great universe they've created and the characters are hugely likeable. Occasionally the language is a littl...more

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May 09, 2013 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 50-states-locales-ya-challenge, fantasy, contemporary-fiction, middle-grade, ya-challenge-9, ya, uf-challenge-13

Twelve year old twins Matt and Em are taken from their home in London to their grandfather’s estate in Scotland. Matt and Em speak telepathically, but no one around them is surprised by that. These twins are animares, they can draw, paint etc. into visual art and animate and make real what they imagine.

Two groups want the kids stopped. One wants to imprison them so they can’t use their powers. The other group wants to use them to access the Hollow Earth, where demons and devils exist. The copy...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Sara Grochowski rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: s-s, middle-grade, magic, reviewed

I picked up Hollow Earth because I loved the cover. Upon closer inspection, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it features twins... to be more exact, magic wielding twins who can manipulate artwork. I wasn't aware until after I'd read the novel (and absolutely adored it) that the half of the brother-sister author duo, John Barrowman, is well-known among Dr. Who and Torchwood fans from his role as Captain Jack Harkness. The remaining half of this writing team, Carole E. Barrowman, may al...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

A good forty or more years ago we visited Great Cumbrae for the first and so far only time. It was winter, the New Year in fact, we were entirely inappropriately dressed (loons, for heaven’s sake!), we had meant to take the ferry to Arran but had come to the wrong port, and we were young and inexperienced. There was nothing to do but walk round the island (it kept us warm, at least!) and catch the ferry back to Largs, so that’s what we did. So it was a bit of a shock recently to pick up the Barr...more A good forty or more years ago we visited Great Cumbrae for the first and so far only time. It was winter, the New Year in fact, we were entirely inappropriately dressed (loons, for heaven’s sake!), we had meant to take the ferry to Arran but had come to the wrong port, and we were young and inexperienced. There was nothing to do but walk round the island (it kept us warm, at least!) and catch the ferry back to Largs, so that’s what we did. So it was a bit of a shock recently to pick up the Barrowmans’ book Hollow Earth and discover that the island of Auchinmurn in the story was recognisably Great Cumbrae by another name (called after their Scottish grandmother, we are told). True, some of the geography was changed, even the orientation, but John Barrowman, who was born in Glasgow, and his older sister Carole Emily will both have had strong childhood memories of the island (no doubt from those same early seventies) and will have tried to infuse that excitement into the writing of Hollow Earth.

To a large extent I was impressed by this tale of twins, Matt and Emily, who have genetically acquired the abilities to not only communicate to each other telepathically but also to animate images, both ones they have sketched and then increasingly those merely envisioned. Together with their new deaf friend Zach they fight to understand and counteract the power struggles that the adults round them are waging in order to further dangerous and mysterious ends. The action, which begins in London, moves swiftly to the two small islands in the Firth of Clyde, and after a rather confusing start we are pitched into a sequence of nightmarish events. There is a resolution, of sorts, but there are also many loose threads which you sense will be followed in subsequent volumes.

I’ve seen mentioned the inevitable comparisons with the Harry Potter books, and of course there is magic, a trio of close-knit youngsters, an avuncular Dumbledore figure and shadowy figures who mean harm. But a much closer parallel will be with the Famous Five books of Enid Blyton, acknowledged as among the Barrowmans’ favourite childhood reading: all that messing around in boats, secret passages, old houses, mysterious adults and island adventures. Another aspect of the Famous Five books that seems to have also leached into the events of Hollow Earth is the youngsters’ relative freedom to do what they choose and go where they please, a feature of British life in the fifties but less common in these days when concern over ‘stranger danger’ looms larger. Despite the obvious perils that emanate from both the natural and the supernatural worlds, the adults responsible for the trio seem increasingly irresponsible and on occasions inexplicably unconcerned about their safety which, as a reader, I found alarming and unconvincing.

At the inconclusive conclusion of the book a surprisingly large number of adults have been badly injured or have disappeared, so it is clear that a sequel or sequels are planned; in fact, the Hollow Earth of the title is only alluded to a few times during the course of the story, and we are left expecting to hear more in due course. I’ll probably read any follow-up for the sake of completeness though not with as much enthusiasm as I started this; the narrative was exciting enough but I was not over-impressed by character motivation. Still, there was a lot of background detail to get one’s teeth into, especially the references to art history and art works (the related website for this book is particularly informative), and one has to admire the sheer inventiveness that melds together the authors’ invention. What with their backgrounds (John Barrowman from Doctor Who and Torchwood and Carole as an English professor) that’s only to be expected of course!(less)

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Jun 01, 2013 Nicky Foster rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well I didn't dislike it but I don't think I will pass it on to my 9 year old, it just didn't capture my imagination. By the end of the book the writing seemed very flat and I found I was reading the words without becoming involved in the story, which is never a good thing in a fantasy book. The characters had no humour or personality and just didn't seem to interact with each other as they should. I know this book is meant for a young audience but that doesn't mean that it should be dumbed down...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Virginia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013books, kindle, bookclub

I am sort of shocked that I am rating this 4 stars. I would not recognize John Barrowman if I bumped into him, but this was recommended by friends who are Dr Who fans, so I was a little suspect. It is hard to tell from the reviews on goodreads whether the high ratings are due to the fact that this is written by an actor, or because it's actually a good book. (Before reading this, I suspected the former.)

I was pleasantly surprised! It has an interesting magic system and an interesting plot, and I...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Lily rated it 4 of 5 stars

It took me 100 pages to really get into Hollow Earth and 200 pages to actually like it. That might not necessarily be the book's fault, I must admit I haven't read children's books for a few years. (Since I finished the 7th Potter, actually.) Although, at first I thought that the language was a bit awkward.

However, once I got close to the end, it was hard to put the book down. It got me so excited I almost experienced a deja vu from my childhood days, when I went through one Enid Blyton novel af...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a fun read. This book is aimed at 8-13 year olds, but I can say without shame that this 40+ loved it and not just because of John and Carole. A clever story, fun characters, interesting and fast-paced plot. Bad guys, good guys who are bad guys, bad guys who are good guys, etc. etc. What more does one need? For those who know John and Carole's world (real world)there are a ton of "Easter Eggs" hidden all over the story. I laughed out loud a the line "You're not my Mother!" If that is a head-...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Loraine rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Potter fans

Shelves: fantasy, kindle, part-of-series, young-adult

This was a fantastic and refreshing read. I saw John Barrowman on This Morning promoting this book and it sounded right up my street so I got onto Amazon and downloaded it onto my Kindle straight away. It has great characters and a good plot that kept me wanting to get back to it every chance I could. If you are a fan of Harry Potter then this is highly recommended. Twin teens who have a unique talent and are discovering a whole new world that you get to discover and enjoy along with them. The e...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Bayla rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

*2.5 stars*
This is one of those books where I feel the need to reiterate that my ratings are based almost entirely on personal preference. This book had a really cool premise - twins have special powers to make art come to life + telepathy - but it just didn't grab me. The characters didn't appeal to me, the constant changing of viewpoint was jarring, and I just couldn't get into the mystery. I did finish the book, but I do confess to a healthy dose of skimming. One thing I would like to note as...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I especially loved what the twins Matt and Em could do.

When I read what Matt did and put his eyes into that bird, I was worried he wouldn't ever get his eyes back.

If this ever continues, I want to read more about the room the twins grandfather took them into.
It sounded like a really cool, but odd room.

Hollow Earth would be an excellent movie too. I would difinitely pay to see this!

I hope John and Carole Barrowman write more to this. I really hope it ends up being a series....more

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Jul 20, 2012 Suzanne Rooyen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book. 4.5/5 stars really.

This is suitable for younger and older readers alike. I am a fan of John Barrowman - well more a geek for Capt. Jack Harkness really - and having watched a few interviews with him, I love how Matt's character has a hint of John in him. Really subtle, but there.

Interesting story, awesome premise and great plot that kept me turning the pages not wanting to stop reading. I'm not sure I completely buy that 12yr olds could pull off some of the stunts these kids d...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Liberty Gilmore rated it 4 of 5 stars

Twins Matt and Em Calder have incredible powers - by drawing and using their imaginations, they can make things come to life. When they are forced to flee their home in London to the Scottish island where the Grandfather they never knew about lives, Matt and Em realise that there is much more to their abilities than they knew, and some people want to use their powers for evil.

This is a fabulous, fast paced adventure with great characters, humour and more than a little intrigue. It jumps around b...more

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Hollow Earth (Hollow Earth #1)

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