Hollow Kingdom

Kira Jane Buxton

Aug 2019 · Sold by Grand Central Publishing

About this ebook

A finalist for the 2020 Thurber Prize for American Humor!

"The Secret Life of Pets meets The Walking Dead" in this big-hearted, boundlessly beautiful romp through the Apocalypse, where a foul-mouthed crow is humanity's only chance to survive Seattle's zombie problem (Karen Joy Fowler, PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author).

S.T., a domesticated crow, is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with his owner Big Jim, trading insults with Seattle's wild crows (i.e. "those idiots"), and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos ®.

But when Big Jim's eyeball falls out of his head, S.T. starts to think something's not quite right. His tried-and-true remedies—from beak-delivered beer to the slobbering affection of Big Jim's loyal but dim-witted dog, Dennis—fail to cure Big Jim's debilitating malady. S.T. is left with no choice but to abandon his old life and venture out into a wild and frightening new world with his trusty steed Dennis, where he suddenly discovers that the neighbors are devouring one other. Local wildlife is abuzz with rumors of Seattle's dangerous new predators.

Humanity's extinction has seemingly arrived, and the only one determined to save it is a cowardly crow whose only knowledge of the world comes from TV.

What could possibly go wrong?

Includes a Reading Group Guide.

Ratings and reviews

While this book feels unnecessarily wordy, I really enjoyed the perspectives and was able to deeply empathize with the characters. I'm not thrilled with the ending, but I'm going to try out the sequel and hope for the best.

The prose is decent. The messages are pushy and not very deep which is fine if it didn't feel like a basic American political dichotomy. The plot comes off as if this were a writing exercise rather than a fully realised story. Worst of all is the rampant depictions of animal pain, starvation,and death. I get it life is hard on animals left to fend for themselves but this level is gratuitous. There are so many descriptions of terrible ways animals are hurt and die all written in a flippant narators voice that comes off gauche and unfeeling.

Offers a unique perspective on the potential ravages of a zombie-like virus, as the various other creatures of the world watch humanity succumb, and work to sort out their own fates in a world where the predator at the top of the food chain has suddenly been toppled. Triumphant, yet tragic. Beware of salty language!

About the author

Kira Jane Buxton's writing has appeared in the New York Times, NewYorker.com, McSweeney's, The Rumpus, Huffington Post, and more. She calls the tropical utopia of Seattle, Washington, home and spends her time with three cats, a dog, two crows, a charm of hummingbirds, five Steller's jays, two dark-eyed juncos, two squirrels, and a husband.