Bone Hollow by Kim Ventrella
Published by Scholastic Press on February 26th 2019
ISBN: 1338042742
Pages: 240
Goodreads

Bone Hollow

 

Gabe’s parents and his grandparents have died leaving him to live with his neighbor, Miss Cleo, who has never been kind to Gabe.  But he has his dog, Ollie, who is the most loving dog character ever.  However, during a storm Gabe is sent out by Miss Cleo to rescue her favorite chicken from the roof and he falls off the roof and dies.  But, readers learn, that Gabe isn’t really dead yet.  He is living in an in-between state.  The townspeople are immensely frightened of him and believe he is a type of zombie creature.  Just in the nick of time he meets Wynne who turns out to be a type of guide who sees a light when people are dying and helps them go across and not be alone.  At first this freaks Gabe out and he wants nothing to do with the job.  However, when Wynne herself needs to be helped across to the next world, leaving a job as Death’s helper, Gabe assists Wynne and begins his next job.

This book gave an interesting take on death and what happens next.  Gabe was a kind and considerate character and his dog Ollie, who helps animals who are dying cross over, make for an interesting take on the universal question of what happens when someone dies.

It is recommended for grades 4-8.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland