House of Hollow
Krystal Sutherland’s House of Hollow follows seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow, who is known for her strangeness. 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 throats. When her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Iris retraces Grey’s footsteps and follows the increasingly bizarre trail of breadcrumbs she left behind. It becomes apparent that the only way to save her sister is to decipher the mystery of what happened to them as children.
This is such a creepy book, in a good way! It’s got that horrific vibe to it, full of horned men, corpses falling out of ceilings, and an unknown realm that acts as a bridge to the land of the dead. I loved how Sutherland made this such a mysterious story. I wanted to find out so badly what happened to Iris and her sisters when they were kids, I almost skipped ahead multiple times just to find out! I’m glad I let it unfold naturally, though.
The bond between Iris and her sisters, especially Grey, was well-done. You could see how protective Grey was of her sisters and how she would do literally anything to keep them safe. This book not only explored the bond between sisters but also family, and what can tear it apart. In the end, even though Iris learns Grey’s dark secret, her mother still loves her and she’s able to maintain a relationship with her middle sister.
I liked reading Iris’ growth throughout the story. She went from trying to appear as normal as possible, doing her best to keep her mother from worrying, and ignoring the bullies at school, to standing up for herself and becoming her own person separate from her mother. She also accepted that the strangeness would always be a part of her, and to work with it instead of against it.
House of Hollow is a mysterious book full of twists and turns that will keep readers on the edge of their seat until the last page.
House of Hollow Rating: ★★★★★
This is such a creepy book, in a good way! It’s got that horrific vibe to it, full of horned men, corpses falling out of ceilings, and an unknown realm that acts as a bridge to the land of the dead. I loved how Sutherland made this such a mysterious story. I wanted to find out so badly what happened to Iris and her sisters when they were kids, I almost skipped ahead multiple times just to find out! I’m glad I let it unfold naturally, though.
The bond between Iris and her sisters, especially Grey, was well-done. You could see how protective Grey was of her sisters and how she would do literally anything to keep them safe. This book not only explored the bond between sisters but also family, and what can tear it apart. In the end, even though Iris learns Grey’s dark secret, her mother still loves her and she’s able to maintain a relationship with her middle sister.
I liked reading Iris’ growth throughout the story. She went from trying to appear as normal as possible, doing her best to keep her mother from worrying, and ignoring the bullies at school, to standing up for herself and becoming her own person separate from her mother. She also accepted that the strangeness would always be a part of her, and to work with it instead of against it.
House of Hollow is a mysterious book full of twists and turns that will keep readers on the edge of their seat until the last page.
House of Hollow Rating: ★★★★★