Book Review: House of Hollow

HOUSE OF HOLLOW | Krystal Sutherland
04.06.2021 | Penguin Teen
Rating: 5/5 stars

Seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow has always been strange. Something happened to her and her two older sisters when they were children, something they can’t quite remember but that left each of them with an identical half-moon scar at the base of their necks. Iris has spent much of her life trying to avoid the weirdness that haunts her life. When her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Iris learns just how weird her life can get: horned men start shadowing her, a corpse falls out of her sister’s ceiling, and ugly, impossible memories start to twist their way into the forefront of her mind. The only way to save Grey is to confront the past. 

Last year I saw so many readers raving about HOUSE OF HOLLOW and then when the stacks for best books of 2021 started rolling out, it was everywhere again. Naturally, I had FOMO and decided I should probably read the copy that had been sitting on my shelves. The verdict: You all were so right! 

HOUSE OF HOLLOW is an incredible story woven together with mystery, horror, dark fantasy, and coming-of-age elements. I was instantly intrigued after reading possibly my favorite opening paragraphs ever. What a way to suck in a reader, Sutherland! As I started to meet our cast of characters and get to know their secrets, I simply couldn’t look away. Amongst the many wonderful personalities filling the pages of this story is brilliantly vivid imagery that fully submerges the reader in the world of the Hollow sisters. Sutherland has crafted something completely unique with this dark fantasy and horror story. In my opinion it transcends the young adult label it holds as there is something here for everyone. If you haven’t given this one a go yet, I encourage you to check it out!

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

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