Review of RARITY FROM THE HOLLOW by Robert Eggleton

A LACY DAWN ADVENTURE

fatcat Press, June 2006

Lacy Dawn's father relives the Gulf War, her mother has lost her teeth, and her best friend is killed by her own father. Life in The Hollow in West Virginia isn't great. But Lacy Dawn has one advantage--she's been befrended by a semi-organic semi-robot (DotCom, alias Buddy) who works with her to 'cure' her parents. Buddy wants something in exchange, though. It's up to Lacy Dawn to save the universe.

First, though, Lacy Dawn has some growing up to do--and she's got to manage to survive as well. With Buddy's help, Lacy Dawn is able to change the environment in which she lives, and is even able to become one of the top shoppers in The Mall, which is the planet that dominates the universe because of its invention of shopping. What neither Buddy, nor The Manager who runs The Mall, will tell her, though, is exactly what threatens the universe or how she is supposed to solve this problem.

Somehow, Lacy Dawn must turn her problems into allies, continue to get advice from her dead friend Faith, survive her father's abuse, and avoid becoming a parent in her pre-teen years. It's a lot to ask of a child, but neither The Hollow nor the Universe is a forgiving place.

Author Robert Eggleton uses a casual style to create a sometimes funny, sometimes disturbing picture of a young woman who believes she is responsible for fixing her parents--and who manages to do so. The gradual humanization of Buddy serves as a microcosm for the entire story, which involves the gradual humanization of everyone Lacy Dawn comes into contact with (including her dog, a piece of firewood, and multiple cockroaches).

The subject matter for RARITY FROM THE HOLLOW is sufficiently depressing that it takes the fantasy element to allow a happy ending--and that is exactly what Eggleton provides. Input jacks on the backs of skulls, large quantities of really excellent 'bud' and large amounts of sex appeal become key to solving the universe's problems.

Caution: frequent references to sexual acts and child abuse make this story unsuitable for some readers. Eggleton's breezy writing, though, keeps up reader interest.

Three Stars

Reviewed 12/21/06

Check it out at FatCat Press

Buy it from MobiPocket

• See more BooksForABuck.com reviews of humor SF/fantasy
• SF Review Central
• See our latest SF and Fantasy Reviews
• Return to Home
• Enjoy SF and Fantasy. Check out BooksForABuck.com's eBook catalog. Novel-length eScience Fiction and eFantasy books at unbeatable prices.