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Author Event with K. Ancrum/The Corruption of Hollis Brown

Anderson's Bookshop Downers Grove

location_on 5112 Main Street, Downers Grove, IL, USA
schedule 4/30/2025 6:00 PM
Registration Closed
Author Event with K. Ancrum/The Corruption of Hollis Brown

Join Anderson’s Bookshop for an author event with K. Ancrum, to celebrate the release of her newest book, The Corruption of Hollis Brown, on Wednesday, April 30th at 6:00 pm in our Downers Grove store. Ancrum will be in conversation with author Don Martin.


Event Format

We will begin checking you in approximately 30 minutes before the start time. After a presentation and Q&A with the author, the line will form in numbered order with the following guidelines:


  • Posed photo with your camera taken by our staff

  • There is a limit of 2 books from home to be signed (unless otherwise stated)

  • There is a limit of 1 personalization of the new book only (unless otherwise stated)


All events have open seating. The “Order Line Number” on your pdf ticket is your reserved place in the signing line. You will line up to meet the author based on that number.


If you cannot attend, you must pick up your book (if included with ticket) at the hosting store within 30 days of the event.  We can ship that book to you for an additional charge of $9.99; please call the store to arrange that.


Pre-registration is required for this event because space is limited.


More about The Corruption of Hollis Brown:

From acclaimed author K. Ancrum comes a queer romantic thriller in which the lives of Hollis, a boy in search of meaning, and Walt, a spirit with unfinished business, collide when Walt takes possession of Hollis's body...and maybe his heart. For fans of Adam Silvera and Aiden Thomas!

Hollis Brown is stuck. Born to a blue-collar American Dream, Hollis lives in a rotting small town where no one can afford to leave. Hollis's only bright spots are his two best friends, cool girls Annie and Yulia, and the thrill of fighting his classmates.

As if his circumstances couldn’t get worse, a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger named Walt results in a frightening trap. After unknowingly making a deal at the crossroads, Hollis finds himself losing control of his body and mind, falling victim to possession. Walt, the ghost making a home inside him, has a deep and violent history rooted in the town Hollis grew up in and he has unfinished business to take care of.

As Walt and Hollis begin working together to put Walt’s spirit to rest, an unspeakable bond forms between them, and the boys begin falling for one another in unexpected ways. But it’s only a matter of time before Hollis’s best friends begin to notice that something about Hollis isn’t quite…right.

With the threat of a long-overdue exorcism looming before them, will Walt and Hollis be able to protect their love and undo the curse that turned their town from a garden of possibility into a place where dreams go to die?

The Corruption of Hollis Brown has already received three starred reviews!

"Ancrum’s tight writing style is perfect for this gritty thriller: simultaneously clipped and lyrical...The novel’s rich tenderness for the town, its residents, and their ghosts makes it a must-read. Queer resilience at its finest." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A psychologically thrilling and emotionally intimate tribute to bettering one’s own circumstances—and those of one’s community—and the selflessness of love." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Walt and Hollis’s romance is as intense, stark, and heartfelt as the romances in Ancrum’s previous works...their growth as people is both genuine and rewarding to watch." —ALA Booklist (starred review) 

"This is a magnificent piece of speculative fiction that will have readers waiting for more from this author" —The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books


About the Author:

K. Ancrum is the author of award-winning thrillers, notably The Wicker King and most recently Lethal Lit: Murder of Crows. K. is a Chicago native passionate about diversity and representation in young adult fiction. She currently writes most of her work in the lush gardens of the Art Institute of Chicago.


About the Conversation Partner:

Don Martin was born in Appalachia and now lives with his husband on a horse ranch outside of Chicago, where he produces his inquisitive interview podcast, Head On FireVerity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire is his debut novel.


Please read these Event Policies carefully:

Anderson’s Bookshop reserves the right to change the format of this event at any time in coordination with the author and publisher. Anderson’s Bookshop assumes no responsibility or liability for any personal injury or other loss you may incur as a result of your decision to attend an event, including the transmission of Covid-19 or related illnesses. 

Failure to treat all participants and staff with courtesy and respect may result in your expulsion from the event.  



Accessibility:

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, after purchasing your ticket(s), please contact us at andersons@andersonsbookshop.com.


Refund Policy
Please note that tickets are non-refundable. Once your payment has been submitted, your purchase is final. This includes changes to the status of signed books and instances where you cannot attend an event at the scheduled time.
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