Book Review: Rarity from the Hollow by Robert Eggleton

This is a decidedly weird read full of engaging characters and humor.
Rarity from the Hollow
by Robert Eggleton

File Size: 845 KB
Print Length: 284 pages
Publisher: Dog Horn Publishing (November 8, 2015)
ASIN: B017REIA44
Genre: Sci Fi, Fantasy
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Lacy Dawn's father relives the Gulf War, her mother's teeth are rotting out, and her best friend is murdered by the meanest daddy on Earth. Life in The Hollow isn't great. But Lacy has one advantage -- she's been befriended by a semi-organic, semi-robot who works with her to cure her parents. He wants something in exchange, though. It's up to her to save the Universe.
To prepare Lacy for her coming task, she is being schooled daily via direct downloads into her brain. Some of these courses tell her how to apply magic to resolve everyday problems much more pressing to her than a universe in big trouble, like those at home and at school. She doesn't mind saving the universe, but her own family and friends come first.
Will Lacy Dawn's predisposition, education, and magic be enough for her to save the Universe, Earth, and, most importantly, protect her own family?
Rarity from the Hollow is adult literary science fiction filled with tragedy, comedy and satire. It is a children's story for adults, not for the prudish, faint of heart, or easily offended.
Robert Eggleton's humorous science fantasy follows in the steps of Douglas Adams, Tom Holt and Terry Pratchett.

Review:
Ahem (clearing throat)– Whew-Oookay. I have read a few very strange books. This one may be the strangest yet. Strange but engaging in a…. weird way. I think a good word is “bizarre” (definition: very strange or unusual, especially so as to cause interest or amusement).

Lacy Dawn is really a wonderful character! She is a young person with an old soul. Lacy Dawn is a 13-year-old fifth grader, residing in an impoverished community known as The Hollow, in West Virginia. Lacy Dawn lives in a falling down home with her dysfunctional family. Her father, Dwayne, is a Gulf War veteran suffering from PTSD and medicating with pot. Her mother, Jenny, sacrificed her dreams of wealth and comfort to stay with her husband, even when he is broken. Oh, and I almost forgot the family dog, Brownie, who learns to communicate later in the story. And, almost part of the family, is Lacy Dawn’s best friend, Faith, who lives – and dies – in an abusive family situation, but continues as a spirit in Lacy Dawn’s beloved trees. And finally, there is Tom, an entrepreneur neighbor who hires Dwayne after Dwayne gets some healing help from Lacy Dawn’s other friend, Dot.com.

Lacy Dawn thinks it is her job to fix her family. But how can she do that? Well --- with the help of Dot.com of course. Dot.com is an android, computer intelligence, that (whom) she discovered ‘round the bend’, in a space-ship hidden in a cave. Dot.com is an integral part of Lacy Dawn’s life. He has been educating her beyond the levels of her grade and she is convinced he will be her future mate. As time goes by, Dot.com, aka Bucky, begins to grow more human. The mental assimilations are understandable; the physical growth – ahh – interesting! According to Dot.com, Lacy Dawn was planted/seeded by his superiors millennia ago to save the universe. That is her destiny if she will accept it.

Dot.com has to introduce Lacy Dawn to his world and Shptiludrp. There she will learn about the task she must accept if she chooses to save the Universe. Before she will accept her monumental destiny, Lacy Dawn engages the help of her family and friends as it will take everyone working together to pull this off. About this point the story takes off on another strange tack which I’m not sure I should disclose. It is totally bizarre but I was compelled to read to the end to find out what happened.

There is a lot of prurient comment coming from the view of a mostly innocent 13-year-old who doesn’t plan on having sex until she marries, and that only after college. I would caution that the story is not for the squeamish. I’d say ‘prudish’ but I have always had a tendency towards being prudish and I got through this. There is quite a bit of point of view hopping but that worked with the bizarreness of the story. I do think the author shares a certain picture of the difficult life of those in poverty. Some people might try to find a deeper meaning or philosophy in this but I am not digging that deeply. I accepted it as a zany adventure.

Would I read more of Lacy Dawn’s adventures? I just might when in a mood for an off-the-wall portrayal of life. If you are a reader who likes humor and is willing to take a chance on a bizarre read, this would be a good choice.

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton-ebook/dp/B017REIA44

I received this from the author for an honest review. It qualifies for “R”, Tour read on my Alphabet Soup Challenge.