The Corruption of Hollis Brown

Gr 8 Up–Gr 8 Up–In Ancrum’s utterly intriguing premise, titular Hollis is stuck—bullied and beaten at school, trapped in a small town without opportunities, and facing a predictably bleak, going-nowhere future. For now, his BFFs Annie and Yulia are his only bright lights. And then he meets enigmatic Walt, who needs his help—food and shelter for six months—in exchange for putting Hollis “on the straight and narrow.” What Walt doesn’t explain is that he’ll also be sharing Hollis’s body. The initial, invasive nightmare cautiously evolves as the two teens start to understand each other—and Hollis realizes Walt also needs the support to resolve personal challenges and find some semblance of peace. Despite a significant, volatile cast—high schoolers, ineffective parents, violent rivals, suspicious best friends, serial abusers, and the undead—Gibson ensures listeners recognize every character even in the most rapid conversations and exchanges.