House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

I went past my usual bookish comfort zone with this book since I usually like fantasy with a bit of romance and nothing too dark. House of Hollow definitively belongs to the fantasy category but on its horrific side. And surprisingly I loved it!

Genre: horror, fantastic, thriller

The synopsis

Vivi, Grey and Iris are three sisters who misteriously disappeared when they were childs. Since, that event (can’t tell you anything about it since the plot revolves around it) the three sisters are changed physically with a strange scar on their throats and are a bit odd. Despite all these elements, the oldest is a world-known fashion designer, the middle one is a musician and the youngest is finishing her high school. Everything seems to be fine until one day one of the sisters disappears again…

The review

It will be hard to talk about this book without spoilers but I’ll try my best. To begin with, I just loved it! I didn’t expected it but I just did. First, I loved the writing which is very fairytale-like but for a darker one. The description of some settings is beautifuly done and you feel like you are in the scene with the characters.

Concerning the characters the main ones are obviously the Hollow sisters. I really appreciated their very different natures with the self-confident Grey, the strong-headed Vivi and the sweet Iris, which is still trying to find her place in front of her two older sisters. I loved the fact that no character is white or black and that each of them has a justification for their actions.

The plot itself was quite thrilling, especially the beginning/middle of the book. I would divide this one into three sections: the introduction of the story, the triller part and the dark fantasy/horrific one. In the introduction, the author takes her time to build the intrigue by presenting the sisters and what happened to them during their childhood. My curiosity for the book really increased during this part and I couldn’t stop reading until I discovered what really happened (and was happening) to the sisters.

The hint of thriller is really well made too and the fantasy/horror dimensions are introduced little by little during this part. I enjoyed following the clues with Vivi and Iris and discovering with them the hidden secrets of the oldest sister. Finally, the last part justifies the fantasy tag of the book with the full discovery of a dark, new setting. For the ones hesitating to read this book because of the horror side, don’t worry it remains really slight. You find it a bit in the thriller part and in some detailed depictions. There is some blood too, but I reassure you nothing gave me nightmares so you will be fine, believe me 😉

In short, a great read if you’re looking for a quick dark fantasy novel. The ending suggests a possible sequel and if it is the case, I assure you I will buy it as soon as it comes out!

A 5/5 read 😀

Triggers warnings: horror/blood, child’s death, eating and psychologic disorders, suicide