House of Hollow - A Review
I recently scarfed down House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland in one day, and if that doesn’t tell you how I felt about it, then let me just say it outright: I LOVED that book!
Going into it, I didn’t really know anything about the book. I thought it was somewhat of a young adult fantasy. I mean, it kind of is, but there is so much more in that book than I thought! House of Hollow is a mix of fantasy, suspense, thriller, mystery, horror, and even the paranormal.
The story is centered around three sisters: Grey, Vivi, and Iris Hollow. The sisters are known to be odd, and ever since the three of them disappeared for a month when they were young with no memory of the event once they returned home, eerie and strange things seem to follow them through life. It also seems that their disappearance changed something about the girls, although no one can really explain why. Their once dark hair is now white, and their blue eyes turned black. As the girls grow older, they can barely avoid the attention they attract. They are seen as disturbingly beautiful and intoxicating.
Iris Hollow is left alone with her mother when her two older sisters leave to fulfill their dreams of fashion and rock bands. Ten years later, we follow Iris as she attempts to lead a normal life and graduate high school. Suddenly, Grey Hollow, Iris’s oldest sister and world-famous fashion designer, goes missing, leaving only clues that her sisters can find. Iris and Vivi must follow the clues and track their sister to…wherever she went. As they search, the story of their past begins to unravel before them, and the things they thought they knew about their disappearance are being revealed as lies.
Throughout this book, I continuously found myself being surprised by the quality of the story. I went into the book expecting a typical YA paranormal fiction book, but to my pleasant surprise, the writing style and plot itself felt closer to something written for adults. I felt that the writing style did not dumb itself down or refrain from exploring thoughts and feelings of the characters to their full capacity. Not that I have anything against YA books, but I do feel that sometimes they can read as though they are a little watered down for the audience.
Another thing about this book that excited me was the representation of LGBTQ+ characters. I feel that Sutherland did a wonderful job including LGBTQ+ characters in a subtle, realistic way that does not make it the main focus of the story but also does not dismiss the notion entirely that the characters are queer. I think that kind of subtle manifestation of a general knowledge of the character’s sexuality greatly helps to normalize and humanize characters that happen to be queer while not making it the focal point of a story in which it really does not add to the plot. Sutherland did a great job of being inclusive while also acknowledging that her story did not need to rely on the “uniqueness” of her queer characters.
There are multiple twists in the book, and I felt that each of them was perfectly placed and thought out! I was repeatedly impressed with the impact the twists had on the story as well as the emotions of the characters and audience. I felt attached to the characters from the beginning, and their emotional turmoil only strengthened our connection, which is why the twists that did happen felt like they had a large impact on the overall emotional experience of reading the book.
The House of Hollow also takes inspiration from folktales and old myths of faeries as well as other supernatural tales and accounts. Without saying too much, I will say that I felt the author incorporated these paranormal roots well into the book, and it truly drew me in! I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone that loves fae and witches, creepy nature-gothic vibes, and getting your heartstrings yanked on. I loved this book!
