The woods remember. The river listens. And some secrets refuse to stay buried.Landis has never stayed anywhere long enough to call it home. After years bouncing through the foster system, he’s learned to keep his head down and never get attached. But the Idaho farm he’s sent to feels… strange. The woods whisper his name. The river thrums with something alive beneath the surface. And the closer he gets to the hollow, the more it feels like someone—or something—is watching.
Benji knows he doesn’t belong—because he’s dead. Caught between worlds with no memory of how he disappeared, he watches the living search for answers his fading mind can’t give them. The only thing he knows for sure is this: the woods were the last place he felt alive… and they''re hiding the truth.
When Landis begins sensing a presence in the trees, Benji realizes their stories are connected. The hollow is stirring. The river is rising. And the secret that trapped Benji might be reaching for Landis next.
As their paths collide across life and death, both boys must uncover what really happened in the hollow before the past pulls another soul under.
Because some places remember.
Some places hunger.
And some places never let you go.
It Happened in the Hollow is an evocative, atmospheric YA paranormal mystery perfect for readers who crave emotional depth wrapped in supernatural intrigue. Brenda Stanley delivers a haunting, beautifully layered story about grief, connection, and the secrets that linger long after the living move on. With dual perspectives from the living and the dead, this novel invites readers into a world where memory becomes its own kind of ghost—and where one truth can change everything.
"An enthralling and captivating anthology of multi-generational stories that are collectively headed on a collision course that will move the reader to turn pages quickly. Ms. Stanley masters the human paradoxes and dynamics of the secrets that are carried in the small and often divided communities of rural America. As one who was raised in a remote Idaho valley, divided by a river, I can attest to the power of this exceptional book." '''Laron Johnson, 2026 Idaho Teacher of the Year
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Benji knows he doesn’t belong—because he’s dead. Caught between worlds with no memory of how he disappeared, he watches the living search for answers his fading mind can’t give them. The only thing he knows for sure is this: the woods were the last place he felt alive… and they''re hiding the truth.
When Landis begins sensing a presence in the trees, Benji realizes their stories are connected. The hollow is stirring. The river is rising. And the secret that trapped Benji might be reaching for Landis next.
As their paths collide across life and death, both boys must uncover what really happened in the hollow before the past pulls another soul under.
Because some places remember.
Some places hunger.
And some places never let you go.
It Happened in the Hollow is an evocative, atmospheric YA paranormal mystery perfect for readers who crave emotional depth wrapped in supernatural intrigue. Brenda Stanley delivers a haunting, beautifully layered story about grief, connection, and the secrets that linger long after the living move on. With dual perspectives from the living and the dead, this novel invites readers into a world where memory becomes its own kind of ghost—and where one truth can change everything.
"An enthralling and captivating anthology of multi-generational stories that are collectively headed on a collision course that will move the reader to turn pages quickly. Ms. Stanley masters the human paradoxes and dynamics of the secrets that are carried in the small and often divided communities of rural America. As one who was raised in a remote Idaho valley, divided by a river, I can attest to the power of this exceptional book." '''Laron Johnson, 2026 Idaho Teacher of the Year
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
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