Book Review: House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

 

Genre: YA Horror

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland was enthusiastically recommended to me by a bookseller at my local Barnes & Noble and while I didn't buy it that day, it did stick in my brain and I ended up going back for it within the week. First off, that cover. It's stunning. And listen, I know, don't judge a book by it's cover, but it cannot be argued that beautiful art can sell a book. It's part of the appeal, especially when buying physical books. So does the actual book live up to such an incredible cover? Yes, yes it does.

Summary

The Hollow sisters are a miracle case —they disappeared as children without a trace only to reappear a month later with matching scars along their jaws and no memory of their apparent kidnapping. But the longer they're home, the more apparent it becomes that something is off about them, different from the normal children they once were. They're an ethereal and unsettling trio, inseparable and bound in ways beyond just sisterhood. More tragedy follows their return and the Hollow family splinters. When the oldest, Grey Hollow, goes missing again, Iris and Vivi are determined to find her, regardless of all the secrets they'll uncover about themselves and who they really are.

This book is fantastic. Krystal Sutherland's writing is beautifully eerie without being weighed down too much by lyricism. It strikes the perfect balance between allowing us to relish in the language while pushing us through the story on every page. The story is told from Iris's point of view, the youngest and most "normal" of the Hollow sisters, the one trying to keep the peace between her wild older siblings and their grief stricken mother. House of Hollow really digs into what it means to be family and the lengths we might go to protect a sisterhood. 

It's categorized as horror, but I would say it's horror-light. I'm not a big reader of horror (because I'm a big baby about it) so I was a little apprehensive at first, but I wouldn't consider it scary. There's no jump scares and I'm not having nightmares about it or anything along those lines. It's more creepy and kind of bloody and gross in places. I would say if you're very sensitive to body horror, this might not be the book for you. But if you're looking for an eerie and atmospheric  book to help get you in the mood for spooky season, this is it.

5/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Both of my sisters were the great loves of my life. I couldn’t live without them. I didn’t want to.”