Golden, Christopher and Ford Lytle Gilmore (2006). Mischief ("The Hollow" series, no. 3). NY: Penguin (Razorbill). ISBN: 1595140263. 214 pages.
Chris Golden, you have let me down. I have long been a fan of Golden's original series, namely "Body of Evidence" and "Prowlers", and I hoped that his new book series, "The Hollow", would be equally cool. Unfortunately (and I'll blame this on his writing partner, Ford Lytle Gilmore), this is not the case. Based on the premise that the Headless Horseman actually exists as a representative of the dark forces the also real Ichabod Crane called up and is seeking revenge on Crane's progenitors, each installment appears to focus on a particular breed of ghoul or goblin that appears in the historical town of Sleepy Hollow. The series focalizers, brother and sister high schoolers named Shane and Aimee, are two of the very few people who realize the town is cursed and seek to destroy the evil forces before they overtake the folks of The Hollow. In this installment, the enemies are Japanese gremlins who like to play deadly tricks on townspeople. This novel moved a lot slower than Golden's usual fare and, by the time the brother and sister found out who, indeed, was harrassing the town with mischief, I had lost interest. Also--and I don't know if this is how the whole series plays out--every victim of the evil gremlins is introduced only as a precursor to his or her eventual demise, so I don't find myself feeling a lot of empathy or concern. Chris, bring back the "Body"! |
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