It Happened in the Hollow -- Brenda Stanley, Paperback

The woods remember. The river listens. And some secrets refuse to stay buried.

Landis has never stayed anywhere long enough to call it home. Shuffled from one foster house to the next, he's learned not to get attached. But when he's sent to live on an Idaho farm, something about the place feels... different. The dense woods whisper his name, and the river hums with something just beneath the surface.

Benji knows he doesn't belong-because he's dead. Trapped in the space between, he watches as his parents refuse to give up searching for him. He doesn't remember how he disappeared, only that the woods were the last place he felt alive. And his mother carries a guilt too heavy to bear. If he can uncover the truth, maybe he can finally let go.

As Landis is drawn deeper into the trees, he begins to sense someone watching. The forest holds a secret-one tangled in grief, guilt, and blood. Benji, desperate for answers, begins to learn about his death and himself. Their stories weave together, leading them both toward the answer to "Why am I here?"

But the river is rising, the woods are waking, and what happened in the hollow could finally answer that question.

Author: Brenda Stanley
Publisher: Oliver-Heber Books
Published: 07/15/2025
Pages: 400
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.91lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.25w x 0.89d
ISBN: 9781648398711
Age Range: 13-18