Book Review: To Save a World

By Ryland Johnson

Adventure! Rebellion! Love and mutiny! A secret mission to save the world and a wizard named Tim! Hollis McCollums debut novel, To Save a World, delivers epic fantasy, fun, and honest, relatable characters bound together on a quest to (as you might expect) save the world.

Theres plenty of swashbuckling fun in McCollums book. First of all, To Save a World is an engaging, enjoyable read, but theres also significant depth in the tale. McCollum uses the lens of high fantasy to weave a narrative that is both a timeless coming-of-age story and a poignant parable of modern life. McCollums characters deal with alienation, prejudice, and cruelty.

Hatred abounds in fearful hearts. Honesty is scarce while monsters are plentiful. McCollum is very good at pointing at the problems in society, but she maintains an optimistic perspective: Friendship and love save the day, growth and learning are possible with hard work and a good sense of humor, and positive local engagement can bring about wider change.

Theres a library joke that young adult fiction books arent for young adults per se; theyre just entertaining books for everyone. McCollums To Save a World fits this description. Its easy to see how young adults could relate to McCollums characters and identify with her community-based ethic of care, kindness, and friendship, but its also clear that her work would appeal to readers of any age.

Hollis McCollum is a writer living in Georgia. She also dedicates her time to local childrens charities. The Ocee Library is honored to welcome her for a reading and book signing, free and open to the public, February 16 at 4:00pm.