Published: 2021
Author: Krystal Sutherland
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Paranormal, Magical Realism
Audience (Grade Levels): Grades 9-12
Number of Stars: 5-Stars
Goodreads Link: House of Hollow
Triggers: Kidnapping, death, body horror, blood, mention of suicide, self-harm, medical trauma, decay
Review By: Heather Kent
Publisher’s Summary
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 throats.
Iris has spent most of her teenage years trying to avoid the weirdness that sticks to her like tar. But 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 to the forefront of her mind.
As Iris retraces Grey’s last known 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.
The closer Iris gets to the truth, the closer she comes to understanding that the answer is dark and dangerous – and that Grey has been keeping a terrible secret from her for years.
Review
The story of these three sisters is incredibly hard to put down. I was completely captivated and curious the whole time as I wondered what truly happened to these girls when they were abducted as children. This book takes many dark, unsettling twists and turns as we discover the history of this family and travel to different, eerie worlds. The author does a fantastic job of creating deeply interesting characters and illustrating the complex ways they interact with each other. The bond that the sisters—Iris, Grey, and Vivi—share is exceptionally strong and builds beautifully with each chapter, serving as the emotional anchor for the entire book. Although the story starts a little slowly, it quickly ramps up into a dark mystery and a psychological thriller that will keep you guessing and checking over your shoulder until the very end.
Sutherland’s writing style is lush, atmospheric, and undeniably creepy, making the supernatural feel deeply rooted in our own world. The imagery she uses to depict decay, flowers blooming from wounds, and the rot of the “Halfway” is wonderfully macabre, yet strangely poetic. I highly recommend this novel to high school students and young adult readers who have a strong stomach for horror, dark fairy tales, and complex family mysteries. It’s an ideal recommendation for fans of eerie, slow-burn stories that culminate in mind-bending revelations. Teenagers will be instantly drawn in by the book’s gorgeous, haunting cover, which perfectly matches the dark, floral aesthetic of the story inside. Ultimately, this book is an excellent addition to high school and public library collections, offering high-quality, modern horror that explores the lengths to which siblings will go to protect one another. 5/5 stars.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- English Language Arts (Gothic Elements and Tone): Teachers can use this novel to explore the conventions of modern gothic literature and magical realism. Students can analyze how Sutherland uses sensory descriptions of nature, scent, and physical decay to establish a dark, suspenseful tone and foreshadow the book’s major plot twists.
- Social-Emotional Learning (Sisterhood, Grief, and Shared Trauma): The intense, protective bond between the Hollow sisters serves as a great starting point for discussions on family dynamics, shared childhood trauma, and the complex ways siblings process grief, secrets, and identity as they grow older.
- “Fairy Tale Retelling & The Halfway” Creative Writing: Encourage students to write a short story or alternative fairy tale that explores a hidden portal or “in-between” world similar to the Halfway in the novel. Have them focus on using sensory language—particularly smell and touch—to create a distinct atmosphere that is both beautiful and slightly unsettling.
Readalikes:
- Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert
- The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
- Wilder Girls by Rory Power
