Hollowland

Hollowland is the first book of the young adult horror literature series The Hollows. Hollowland starts the story of Remy King, a nineteen-year-old as she searches across a zombie-infested America to search for her taken brother.
Plot summary
The story starts with an attack on the quarantine that Remy and her brother have fled to after the death of their parents. Remy helps two younger girls named Harlow and Sommer escape. Remy explains that the zombies are not really zombies; they were regular people who had been infected with the lyssavirus genotype 8, a mutation of the rabies virus. It only infects humans yet is incredibly monstrous. Remy states that her brother was in the medical wing at the time of the attack and taken to a safer quarantine by evacuating soldiers. The trio manage to escape the quarantine after seeing a private named Beck, who had taught Remy to shoot, wait for the virus to take him.
Remy realizes that Sommer may have contracted the virus from a prior zombie attack. She tells her that she will not take a chance and bring her with her as Harlow and Remy begin to travel across the desert. They find a lioness in chains, fighting off attacking zombies. After the two save her, she follows them to an abandoned town nearby. Harlow gives her the name "Ripley" for the heroine of the Alien franchise, and the "toughest chick" Harlow has ever seen.
Two men arrive to raid the house they perceived as abandoned yet hesitate when they spot Ripley. One introduces himself as Blue Adams, stating his parents were hippies and Harlow recognizes the other as Lazlo Durante, who was previously a famous rock star with his "radio-friendly punk" band named Emeriso. Blue, having been in medical school when the virus started, helps dress blisters on Harlow's feet. Lazlo and Blue explain that they met on chance when zombies attacked. Everyone sleeps for the night and Remy arranges to head North to find her brother Max. Blue tells her that he found keys for an SUV so they will not have to walk to Wyoming.
After driving away from the developing homes of the area, Remy realizes that they are in Las Vegas, which has since become a dusty ghost town. Remy leads the group to raid a hotel for supplies. The casino in the hotel is full of broken chairs, slot machines and dead bodies. When raiding in the back, Remy is attacked by three zombies (including one she claims looks exactly like Paul Giamatti) yet manages to fight them off with her bare hands until she can escape. Lazlo uses a taser from a dead guard to finish the final zombie.
The journey continues with more food and gas for the SUV until Remy spots a ranch in the distance, guarded by a tiger. Upon entering, the group discover that the ranch is owned by a man named Korech, a religious and fundamentalist Christian who lives with his young wife, many other young girls and few boys. Remy is disturbed by this, yet Harlow is thrilled that they have electricity and running water. Korech tells them that Ripley and his tiger originated from the same magic show in Vegas before the outbreak. All the girls are kept in the basement in a dorm-like living area with communal showers where Remy and Harlow must sleep for the night. Blue and Lazlo stay with the few other males, Lazlo also disturbed by Korech's ranch.
After a Korech conducts a morning service, he takes a young girl Remy recognizes from the basement into his room for a "private prayer". Increasingly unsettled, Remy and Lazlo both gather Harlow and Blue to get into the SUV and leave. Korech believes Lazlo to be corrupting the girls and shoots at the group as they escape.
With two girls from the ranch in tow and Korech's gun, the group arrive at an abandoned home. The words Helter Skelter have been scrawled on the front door in thick zombie blood, emulating Charles Manson. They are later rescued from an unknown sniper (which Lia, one of the girls from Korech's ranch, does not survive) by a man named Sam. They are taken to a military-like safe haven for humans and attempt to rest for the night. However, unbeknownst to Remy, Vega (the other girl from Korech's ranch) has contracted the virus and begins to turn. She is killed and they set off to Wyoming once more. Remy reveals that her brother was protected in their old quarantine as he could not contract the virus.
The group are attacked on the way by a large band on zombies that rock the car. When fighting them off, Remy is bitten by one before they are saved by armored soldiers. Remy hides her bite as they are taken to the quarantine and forced to spend three days isolated in metal sheds to make sure they are clean. Remy worries that she will turn but eventually does not. She and Blue later realize she is immune like her brother.
A private named Tatum eventually tells Remy that her brother is on the premises yet he cannot take her to him. He brings them to a trailer where they will be staying. Blue volunteers to help in the medical wing and soon discovers that Remy's brother, Max, is being kept at the very top of the building. Remy plans her infiltration of the building and, with the help of Tatum and Blue, manages to find the room her brother is kept in. He has been told that only he can save humanity by giving his blood as a cure.
Remy spends the night with Lazlo before she leaves and tells him that she is immune from the virus. The next day, Remy, Lazlo, Blue and Tatum successfully infiltrate the building Max is being kept in. Max agrees to go with Lazlo and Blue as Remy takes his place and the book ends.
Sequels
Amanda Hocking is in the process of writing a sequel called Hollowmen that will be released in the Autumn of 2011.

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See Also

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