Hollow Bones

by B. Narr

Scrubby, hidden weeds snatched at their clothes like hands. No further, they whispered, go back.

Ornithologists Danielle Wright and Luca Navarro are trying to save the Caddo Lake wetlands from an oil pipeline. Local boat tour guide Harper Benoit is trying to save her family business from collapse. None of them know that there's something much deadlier on the horizon. Not yet.

When the swamp starts drying up, and people start going missing, the three women must find the source and stop it before a sinister force consumes everything — but getting too close to it might cost them their lives.

Genres: Horror, Novella, LGBT, Queer, Horror Thriller

75 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 20, 2019

About the author

B. Narr is an Oklahoma-based writer who may or may not just be a bird who learned to type. When not writing, you can find B trying out new bread recipes, running obstacle course races, and roaming the nearest state park looking for cryptids.

Reviews

[Lauren Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted a quick, enjoyable read and that's what I got with this book.

I loved the swamp setting and I really enjoyed the hints of f/f romance. The writing style was good and I'd like to read more from this author in the future.

My only negative is that I felt the story was resolved too quickly and easily but then it is a novella. Maybe what I'm saying is that I'd like to have read a full length novel of this story.

[juls · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it but I just feel like it should've been a bit longer

[Lauren (Northern Plunder) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review was first posted on Northern Plunder, you can read more of my reviews there too.

B Narr reaching out to me to see if I was willing to read and review Hollow Bones left me over the moon. Pitched to me as a f/f horror novella featuring female scientists, a dying Texas swamp, and an eldritch monster – it’s like it was made for me!

Eldritch monsters are somewhat new to me so it was really enjoyable to read. They’re the in thing lately and after this I’d love to keep reading more about them. The creature in Hollow Bones is such a gruesome being as a result B Narr is able to make you visualise it in all it’s glory.

The majority of the horror elements take part in a dying swamp which the creepy monster inhabits. Here it causes a lot of death and destruction. Which using multiple point of view, Narr was able to show us how wide spread the damage was. This also adds a fair amount of tension to the story.

We briefly see how a nearby construction team are struggling after a lot of “resignations”. But the two main, and important, point of views are from a tour guide who’s group wanders into the beasts lair. The other being from two scientists who’s camp is torn about from the monster, their involvement being vital in solving what was truly going on. That is to say it really wrecks havoc on a lot of lives.

Additionally I loved how a bit of myth and lore was brought in to heighten the creatures devastation throughout history. Therefore leaving room, should the author wanted, to return and develop previous cases into short stories too!

Above all I’m aways on the look out for more queer horror. The relationships in this novella fit in seemlessly as they bond and work together to ensure their survival.

In conclusion I thought this was a great novella, and as with most, it left me wanting more. On another note, this is their first book which has left me expecting great things from them. In other words, I can’t wait to read more and I’m definitely a fan.

[Aina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable novella that I devoured in a day! The atmospheric setting of Caddo Lake is vividly rendered and transported me to the swamps. I liked the different perspectives we get of the horrors in the bayou, from the eyes of two boys on a hunt to a couple of workers on the oil pipeline. The horror genre isn't always known for representation so I loved that the main characters are three women; two of whom are scientists and one a tour guide in charge of a family business. Not only that, two of them are romantically linked. It was great to see a portrayal of LGBTQ characters where their sexuality isn't a plot point but a natural part of themselves.

While this book didn't scare me, there are some outstanding scenes that gave me the creeps! The description of the creature that terrifies the characters is done well while still leaving something to the imagination. However, the ending felt too neat and easy. After the constant threat of danger, I would have loved for the conclusion to be messier and more harrowing. But this is an entertaining novella that successfully merges science and folklore. I’m excited to read more from the author!

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[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

check out my podcast Everybody's Dead Podcast for our episode review of this novella coming October 23

[Agathe · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

The idea is interesting but honestly, this is so short that i don't know what to say about it.
Haunted swamp, read it or not i guess

[Asheton Arebalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, short, horror read with representation

I love a good, short read. I have a baby and longer books take me a month or more to finish. This was addictive. I finished it in a single evening.

This book contains all of the classic makings of a good horror book- an isolated location, mysterious disappearances, and a big scary monster terrorizing a town with mysterious swamp powers. What sets it apart from the classic horror book? REPRESENTATION. It's 2019 and while representation is important, it's also important that the author includes it in a manner that flows well with the story line and B. Narr does that well. You will note women in STEM, women in wildlife management, women in medicine, and LGBTQ interests. It flows so naturally that I had to think about how many ways women were well represented in this book because it isn't emphasized in a way that says "HEY LOOK REPRESENTATION" like so many authors awkwardly do. It felt very natural and respectful to those represented. My only criticism is that while I could picture the landscape based on Narr's detailed descriptions, I would've liked to have had more physical details on the characters to picture them better, and maybe a bit more on the origins of the monster and what awakens it. Great read, money well spent.

[oh-deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Danika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hollow Bones is the perfect short read that can easily fill up an afternoon. Great for the spooky season without asking for too much of your time. I really enjoyed the setting of this story, I feel like I rarely ever see swamp horror (though admittedly I wouldn't say I'm well read in the horror genre) and so it really makes the book stand out to me. It makes the story have a distinct atmosphere, coupled with writing that's clearly done its research, and leaves a strong impression.

As a horror, I wouldn't necessarily say I got too scared by things, but I really loved the concept of the monster; I just think the description could have gone all out to describe just how frightening and grotesque it is. I could feel myself just at the precipice of fear so to speak, it just needed a little more push. That being said, the idea of a creature living in the swamp, coming out whenever the swamp dries, is a really neat concept and I can see it making a wider commentary on climate change should it have chosen to.

The thing about Hollow Bones is that I can easily see how strong it could have been if it had been longer; obviously it's a novella so perhaps I'm being unfair with this point but I can easily see, in a full length novel, chapters exploring the history of the creature and uncovering more about it, especially since its mentioned within the story that it was spotted once before. Because it's so short, things happen quite quickly and as others have mentioned here it gets resolved easily. There's not enough space for the characters to leave too much of an impression, but I will admit that the different points of views adds to their charm and makes the world feel alive. There's a lot of space that could have filled up a full length novel to make it a really strong story had there been the opportunity to do so. This is all to say: I can imagine this as a longer novel and would have loved to read if it was! Reading this makes me look forward to whatever the author might write next.

Overall, I definitely think this is worth the read for the unique setting and casual read! As a novella, it worked wonderfully with what is written and makes a great addition for any spooky season readings.

[Jennifer Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I had fun with this, I also have some issues with it. Let’s start with the good. The creature was awesome! Honestly, I got a great picture built up in my mind from the descriptions, and the carnage was fun! I enjoyed the characters themselves, especially as they related to the action scenes, and I’ve got a bird noted to go look up, bc it sounded so cute in the story.

The not so good. The romance portion of this was totally unnecessary, added nothing, and seemed totally out of place with the rest of the story. I really wanted more from the story, more details on the construction crew, more backstory on some of the people. It works like it is, but I think it would have worked even better with a bit more flesh on the story.

All in all, solid three stars.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was pretty solid. Like most novellas, I was completely captivated by the beginning, and lost a little somewhere during the execution. This was enjoyable (in a creepy, I'm scared kind of way) to read, but there's so much potential here to bring this up to something great. I'd definitely read more by this author to see what their writing is like in other forms.

[Tiffany Lynn Kramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did question Danielle and Luca's reactions after their first encounter with the creature and would have like some parts to have been more flushed out. Overall though, Hollow Bones is an enjoyable, fast-paced piece that will have me on the lookout for more by Narr.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, creepy and satisfying queer horror novella about a monster that is causing damage and the death of wildlife and people, so some eco horror as well. The romance between Danielle and Harper was super cute. Found this in the Queer Liberation Library and I'm eager to read more from B. Narr.

[Leonardo Prado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good monster story with a good plot. Not exactly haunting, but it was great for cheap thrills.
Plot and Structure: 3 - Character Development: 3 - Writing Style: 3 - Themes and Depth: 2 - Impact: 2
Stars: 3

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good, quick monster-hunting, sapphic adventure!

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why is this amazing novella not getting more hype?!

Amazing read that had all of my favorite things: biology, spooky atmosphere, mystery, women in STEM, and LGBTQ+ pride.

I LOVED THIS. 5+ stars!

[Brea Lanae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great little novella that sucked you in from the prologue. I wish the final battle was a little more intense, but overall, short and entertaining.

[Liz Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely spooky. I almost wish it was longer so that you could get more of the why and how, but it was perfect for a quick scare

[Punam Majhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good one.

[Tya C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up. The ending felt very rushed. I would’ve liked more.

[M. Whitlock · Rating 3 out of 5]

not a lot of detail, even for a novella. it felt like i was running the whole time and i don’t remember my trip

[MoReadsBooks✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fantastic, I just wish it was longer. The ending felt rushed to me and I wanted to see more trial and error of killing the creature. This was a good concept that should have probably been a full size book instead of a novella.

[viv · Rating 3 out of 5]

sapphics and swamp monsters ♡

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun horror short story, I think it could have used a couple more chapters because the conclusion felt a tad rushed.