House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

A New York Times Bestseller! An Instant Indie Bestseller! A dark, twisty modern fairytale where three sisters discover they are not exactly all that they seem and evil things really do go bump in the night. 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.

Absolutely beautifully eerie modern dark fantasy - similar to some other novels I've read this year, this book explores creepy, unsettling themes while also not shying away from the realities of our world. I love the characters, their exploration into womanhood, the writing, the interactions, the plot, the pace...everything. Maybe modern dark fantasy has become a vibe I ever so excitedly lean toward? This book was dark, it was creepy, and it was littered with so many gems that it's a book I can see myself reading again. An absolute WIN for April, my dears, I think nothing can surpass. Wowww.

4.5/5 stars

This book was so creepy and weird and I had no idea what was going to happen the entire time but I loved it so much. 10/10 would recommend.

RTC??? Maybe?? If I'm into writing reviews again

this was a case of, “did i read the same book everyone else did?” because i saw friends raving and expected the same reaction but... i'm sad to report that i was largely disappointed by this

i will say, first and foremost, that i really enjoyed the spooky parts. i'm not big on blood and gore, but the b&g in this mixed with the thriller aspect properly spooked me in a good way – i felt thrilled and even a little scared to turn the light off at night, but also not permanently traumatized for life. i think that's my personal happy medium when it comes to anything scary or that involves body horror, so i'm pleased with that.

i'm also pleased with how sutherland handled the narrative of three sisters and the consequent dynamics, no matter where they grew up. i think each sister, in personality and actions and words, embodies key parts of being the eldest, middle and youngest sister and these complex dynamics are really well played out without being cringe-y and obvious. as an eldest sister who would once upon a time do anything for her younger, that part really struck me.

however, my disappointment largely lies in the “twist”, which was obvious to me from the second the characters were introduced on the backside. i don't know if that's the author's intention, or if they were trying to be clever, but for me i knew the twist from the back of the book summary and spent the entire book praying that the twist was going to be more spectacular than what it was. unfortunately, it was predictable and there were way too many hints dropped in i guess not the best way for me to personally enjoy it, but in retrospect it's kind of neat to see all the bread crumbs there (har dee har).

also i had a hard time switching between the urbanity and lighthearted rapport of the sisters and then suddenly blood and gore. i'm not saying that thrillers have to be 100% serious or 100% goofy, but the transitions between the two felt clunky and sometimes the effect of some of the funny or serious parts were lost on me because of it.

feeling uber conflicted about this book because, like i said, i liked the spook i got, but i have many (many many many) gripes with how the plot was executed