Quick Take
- Narration: Jorjeana Marie is a superb choice, she catches the gothic atmosphere without overdoing it, and her handling of Selah’s interiority gives the mystery its necessary emotional grounding.
- Themes: family secrets across generations, the uncanny double, gothic romance in autumn
- Mood: Atmospheric and autumnal, building to a genuinely tense finish
- Verdict: K.E. Ganshert delivers a confident series opener, layered, atmospheric, and well-paced enough to hook readers who thought they had outgrown paranormal YA.
There is a very specific kind of audiobook that works best in October: something with leaves and cold air and a house that knows more than it should. I started Wicked Is the Hollow on a late afternoon walk and ended up standing in my own kitchen, still listening, unwilling to take my earbuds out while I cooked dinner. Jorjeana Marie’s narration helped. So did K.E. Ganshert’s knack for pacing a mystery that refuses to give too much away too soon.
The setup is classical gothic with contemporary YA sensibilities. Selah Whitlock has been drawn to the unexplained since her mother’s disappearance, so it feels almost fated when her father takes a job at the Vandenberg estate in Foggy Hollow, a place with a notorious cold case at its center. The estate brings Selah into orbit of two very different cousins: Jude, brooding and tragic, and Rafe, charming and dangerous. Then a centuries-old portrait surfaces that bears Selah’s exact likeness, and the story shifts from atmospheric romance into something with darker edges.
Our Take on Wicked Is the Hollow
Ganshert is doing several things at once here, and what is impressive is how rarely any of them interfere with each other. The mystery of the cold case, the portrait, and Selah’s resemblance to a historical figure is genuinely intriguing and not telegraphed too early. The romance, split between Selah’s wariness of Jude and her complicated awareness of Rafe, avoids the most exhausting YA love-triangle beats because Ganshert keeps Selah’s own agency and judgment at the center. She is drawn to these people because of who they are, not simply because the plot requires it.
The Foggy Hollow setting is particularly well-realized. The town’s bicentennial preparations run through the background of the story like a second plot, and the way Ganshert uses local folklore, history, and the rhythms of a small community gives the mystery its texture. One reviewer noted the fun of the book’s pop-culture references, allusions to literature, music, and film woven into the story as part of Selah’s worldview. These are handled lightly enough not to feel forced.
Why Listen to Wicked Is the Hollow
Jorjeana Marie is one of the most reliable narrators working in YA and genre fiction, and this performance confirms that reputation. She gives Selah a voice that is curious and self-aware without being precocious, a difficult balance in first-person YA narration. The atmospheric scenes, particularly the sequences at the estate, benefit enormously from Marie’s ability to convey dread without melodrama. She trusts the material, and the material trusts her back.
At just under thirteen hours, the audiobook is an ideal length for this kind of story, long enough to develop the mystery and the relationships with genuine depth, short enough to maintain urgency. The pacing in the middle section is particularly strong, as the cold case and the portrait mystery begin to converge. Ganshert resists the temptation to over-explain, and the result is a second half that accelerates with genuine momentum.
What to Watch For in Wicked Is the Hollow
A couple of reviewers noted scenes that end somewhat abruptly, which can feel jarring in audio particularly. These are real, if minor, moments where the narrative rhythm stutters. The paranormal elements, mythology, religion, and the supernatural history of Foggy Hollow, are woven through the story but may feel underdeveloped to listeners who want fuller world-building in the fantasy dimension. Ganshert is more interested in character and mystery than in elaborating a metaphysical system, which is a choice that will satisfy some readers and leave others wanting more.
This is book one of the Tales from the Hollow series, and the ending, while not a cliffhanger, establishes threads that clearly extend into subsequent volumes. Listeners who prefer fully self-contained stories should know this is an opening chapter of a larger narrative.
Who Should Listen to Wicked Is the Hollow
Readers who love gothic atmosphere, autumn settings, and a mystery with real bones will be well served here. It works equally well for older YA readers and adults who enjoy the genre, multiple reviewers noted it as a clean but genuinely compelling read, and parents looking for quality YA horror-adjacent material will find this hits the mark. Start it in October if you can.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wicked Is the Hollow appropriate for younger teen readers?
Yes. Multiple reviewers describe it as clean, meaning it contains no explicit sexual content. There is gothic tension, some violence implied by the cold case, and genuine spookiness, but it is appropriate for most teen readers. Parents of younger teenagers should feel comfortable with the content level.
Does Wicked Is the Hollow work as a standalone or does it end on a cliffhanger?
The primary mystery of the book reaches a satisfying resolution. It is not a cliffhanger ending, but threads are established for the series to continue. Think of it as a complete episode within a larger story, satisfying in itself while clearly part of something bigger.
How does Jorjeana Marie handle the dual male leads, Jude and Rafe?
Marie differentiates the cousins clearly through voice and tone, Jude comes across as more guarded and interior, Rafe more openly charismatic. Her work here is part of what prevents the dynamic from feeling like a standard love triangle; the characterization is specific enough that each character feels like a distinct person.
Is there substantial paranormal world-building or does the book focus more on mystery and romance?
The balance leans toward mystery and romance. The paranormal elements, mythology, spiritual history, the portrait mystery, are present throughout but are not elaborated into a detailed metaphysical system. Readers who want extensive supernatural world-building may feel the fantasy dimension is secondary; readers drawn to gothic atmosphere and character will be satisfied.
