Watch Hollow by Gregory Funaro
Format/source: ARC/Author
Published: 12 February 2019
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Middle grade speculative fiction
★★★½
I received a free copy from the author.
Deep within the enchanted woods in the town of Watch Hollow stands the once-grand Blackford House, whose halls hold a magical secret: a giant cuckoo clock that does much more than tell time. But when the clock’s gears cease to turn, an evil presence lurking among the trees begins to come out of the shadows.
When Lucy and Oliver Tinker arrive in Watch Hollow, they have no idea that anything is wrong. A mysterious stranger has made their father an offer that’s too good for him to refuse. All Mr. Tinker needs to do is fix the clock at Blackford House and fistfuls of gold coins are his to keep.
It doesn’t take long, however, for the children to realize that there is more to Blackford House than meets the eye. And before they can entirely understand the strange world they’ve stumbled into, Lucy and Oliver must join forces with a host of magical clock animals to defeat the Garr—a vicious monster that not only wants Blackford House for itself, but also seeks to destroy everything the Tinkers hold dear.
Watch Hollow is less creepy than the cover implies but Funaro establishes a consistently spooky atmosphere throughout the book. References to iPads and Google searches early on give way to descriptions of a bleak wood and 5eerie sensations. I enjoyed Lucy’s first impression of the old house – a gradual introduction that shows how unsettling has become. Illustrated clock faces at the top of each chapter emphasize that atmosphere.
The story involves a lot of puzzling things out. Puzzle narratives aren’t my favourite, and this isn’t, strictly speaking, what I would call a puzzle book, but I can see a lot of kid appeal here. One type of ‘puzzling out’ I do like is when someone finds themselves having to resolve a problem that’s rooted in the past. I enjoy following how they piece things together bit by bit. Third person narration explores both Lucy and Oliver’s perspectives. Th8’re dealing with their own problems, which they eventually realize are intertwined. Lucy and Oliver also have to puzzle out how the clock works and how its connected to Watch Hollow, Teddy, the Garr, and the Shadow Wood. There are some creative ideas with the world-building, like the wooden animals who come to life and the power of sunstone and shadow wood.
Apart from the fantastic elements, Oliver deals with some of the challenges of puberty, notably acne and voice cracking. I haven’t seen a lot of this in middle grade – perhaps because it’s more common in contemporary fiction than in the speculative fiction that I usually read. The family dynamic between Lucy, Oliver and their father also plays an important role in the narrative.
I noted one sentence in which fat was used in a derogatory way. Lucy describes one of her bullies as being fat. This is a small point, but this kind of language – associating meanness with someone’s weight – can be harmful, especially in fiction for children. Lucy also calls Oliver a spaz, which is an ableist term.
The Bottom Line
Young readers will find lots to enjoy in Watch Hollow, especially if they have a soft spot for talking animals, monster stories, or a dose of classic spookiness!
Further Reading
Interesting this book brings up puberty! Good points about the problems with using “fat” and “spaz”
Thanks for your comment! The language stood out to me because it was so casually and briefly used, but really unnecessary.