Author: Krystal Sutherland
Publication Date: 6 April 2021
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons BYR
Page Count: 304
Reading Method: Physical
Dates Read: October 25 – 26
House of Hollow is an incredibly fast-paced, atmospheric, and delightfully eerie read that is perfect for spooky season!
The Hollow sisters went missing when they were children. When they returned, they were completely changed. They possess interesting abilities that allow them to affect those around them, their hair and eyes changed colors, and their father is convinced these are not his children. The sisters bond is one that cannot be broken, but as they start to go their separate ways, Iris (the youngest Hollow) begins to realize there are many things her sisters have been hiding from her all along, including the truth of what happened when they went missing all those years ago.
Where the heck to I even begin with this review? The writing is absolutely gorgeous and hypnotic. It pulls you into the story and doesn’t let you go until the very end. It was a struggle to put this one down. And when it was over, I was left hoping it would continue on much longer.
The bond the sisters share is like none other. They are willing to go to the ends of the earth (and beyond) to protect each other. Countless times we find them in situations that seem impossible to recover from, yet there they are, fighting together to keep each other safe.
The magic system, if you can really call it that, is fascinating. It did take longer than I would have liked for it all to work itself out and be explained to the reader, but it worked. Everything was revealed in the perfect time and once it was all out in the open, everything clicked into place. There are some pretty gruesome depictions in House of Hollow, but that’s really to be expected in any horror story.
I can’t say too much more without giving everything away, but I absolutely loved House of Hollow and I wish I knew what happened next for Iris.
About the Book
Iris Hollow and her two older sisters are unquestionably strange. Ever since they disappeared on a suburban street in Scotland as children only to return a month a later with no memory of what happened to them, odd, eerie occurrences seem to follow in their wake. And they’re changing. First, their dark hair turned white. Then, their blue eyes slowly turned black. They have insatiable appetites yet never gain weight. People find them disturbingly intoxicating, unbearably beautiful, and inexplicably dangerous.
But now, ten years later, seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow is doing all she can to fit in and graduate high school on time–something her two famously glamourous globe-trotting older sisters, Grey and Vivi, never managed to do. But when Grey goes missing without a trace, leaving behind bizarre clues as to what might have happened, Iris and Vivi are left to trace her last few days. They aren’t the only ones looking for her though. As they brush against the supernatural they realize that the story they’ve been told about their past is unraveling and the world that returned them seemingly unharmed ten years ago, might just be calling them home.
About the Author
Krystal Sutherland is an internationally published author. Her first novel, Chemical Hearts, was published in over 20 countries and was named by the American Booksellers Association as one of the best debuts of 2016. The film adaptation, produced by Amazon Studios, stars Lili Reinhart (Riverdale) and Austin Abrams (Euphoria); Sutherland served as an executive producer on the project. Her second novel, A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares, was published to critical acclaim in 2017 and has been optioned for adaptation by Yellow Bird US. In 2018, she appeared on the annual Forbes “30 Under 30” list. Originally from Australia, she has lived on four continents and currently calls London home. Her next novel for young adults, House of Hollow, is set for publication by Penguin in spring 2021.
