The protagonist, 15-year-old Nicholas, grapples with existential terror living with his father in a bleak housing development. He experiences severe anxiety, interpreted as being possessed by the spirit Pan. The novel delves into themes of mental illness and adolescence, showcasing them as potent and terrifying experiences. Nicholas's interactions with another boy and a small-time cult leader add layers of complexity to his struggles. The narrative illustrates how adolescence can warp perceptions and reality, using rituals involving sex, drugs, and animal sacrifice to further depict the chaos in Nicholas's world.
Nicholas becomes convinced that he is perpetually at risk of leaving his body, specifically that his looking/thinking could pour or leap out of his head.
Ian particularly targets Nicholas, telling him that only they are capable of real thoughts; the others in the group are Hollows who have Solid Mind.
Pan shows more successfully than any other book the experiences of mental illness and adolescence as black magic, allowing that they might be black magic.
The sound of words from a Hollow mouth contains an abyss, illustrating the disintegration of reality experienced by the characters.
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