House of Hollow

By: Krystal Sutherland

Narrated by: Eleanor Bennett

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.

Pay no attention to the cover art

I don't usually bother with writing reviews, but this book was such a wonderful surprise (and very much not the kind of book that i would have picked up on my own), that I decided it needed some attention. I got this recommended by a friend and didn't know what to expect. I am happy to say that this is one of those wonderfully creepy books that is full of little mysteries and is nearly impossible to put down. I finished it in just 2 days and it left me wanting more from this strange world and interesting characters. While this book looks and feels like it's aimed at younger adults, it doesn't feel like a YA book, which is good; I usually don't care for YA. This one has some teeth to it, and the imagery is beautifully conjured in well-scripted prose that's elegantly descriptive and almost lyrical, and the narrator does a good job with keeping the rhythm right. She also sounds great, like she was meant to narrate this story. The story itself is dark and unfolds in a way that brings the reader right along the trail of breadcrumbs, right to the end, and even manages a couple of surprises here and there, never giving too much away. Dark fairy tales usually aren't my thing, but this one is so light on the romance, and the darkness borders on horror in many places - just the way I like it. The author does a beautiful job of balancing the concepts of youth and beauty with death and decay, and some scenes got right under my skin, which is just good writing. If there are any detractors, it's that I found the constant references to of-the-moment culture trends unnecessary and annoying in what would otherwise be a fairly timeless tale, and of course, I wish it had been longer, here's hoping for a sequel.

Eerily Entertaining

Don't know how I stumbled across this book as an option but I was unbelievably and frightfully surprised with the twists. The story of the Holllow sisters and thier strange disappearce and then reappearance so many years ago is a mystery that keeps feeding throughout the book. It is rooted in cultural folklore but shifted and shaped distinctly so that it's managed to avoid feeling dated or overly used. The author did a great job with detailed descriptions and character development that made my skin crawl but also made me curious enough to envision with delight. I can easily picture a series continuing but if it doesn't happen, well I'm happy with where it ended. My imagination has been sparked!

Good, not great.

This definitely feels more young adult than adult. I often find myself really enjoying YA, even as an adult, but there was something about this writing/narration that felt extra juvenile. Love the atmospheric feel of the story, but overall I found it predictable. The narrator had a lovely voice so if you want any easy listen give it a try.

Honest

Honestly, this storytelling was too slow for me and took quite some time to finish. I think it would be better read for oneself.

perfectly dark fairytale

gorgeously dark without the gore. the narrator is a bit mechanic at times but the writing completely makes up for it.