Book Review: "House of Hollow" by Krystal Sutherland

I’ve read a lot of dark novels in my time. I have also had the pleasure of reading a lot of dark young adult (YA) fiction. From the novels of Oscar de Muriel to the books of V.E Schwab - Y.A dark fantasy is almost always a pleasure to read. Christina Henry and Danielle Paige and even the books of Gregory Maguire have always managed to put a smile on my face with their clever use of tropes from literature and fairytales from before their own time. The concepts too, suit the language use of the dark but sometimes funny and slightly modern teen-esque writing of dialogue and description. The first person narratives being pretty immersive if you ask me. This book, with its subversive concept and folklorish take upon the modernist fantasy and nightmare, is really no exception.

Three sisters: Grey, Vivi and Iris have the last name “Hollow” and look, to their peers - like witches. From conspiracy theories as to who they are all the way down to Grey going ‘missing’ as ‘usual’, this book explores imposter syndrome like you have never seen it before. A brilliant escape from the everyday piece of fantastical literature in order to delve way deep in the psychological nightmare which eventually leads to suicide. These three sisters must find each other before it is too late. Uncovering who they really are along the way and what really happened that day when they all supposedly disappeared.

The way in which the storyline weaves in and out of this almost nightmarish episode of imposter syndrome that keeps the rhythm of the book is pretty amazing if I am being perfectly honest. Conceptually, this book is a well-constructed piece of literature which has obviously been thought out in order to blow the reader’s mind as much as physically possible. For example: there is a scene in which one of the sisters is looking in the mirror and a wound on her neck which has bugs crawling out of it and there seems to be some sort of substance inside said wound which she never noticed there before. A descriptive and often sickening book, it has these strange sections in which we are taken aback from the action to observe something horrific, terrifying and in most cases, gory as hell.

However, the language use seems to be some of the problem here. The descriptions are well written yes, but the dialogue is absolutely dire. The dialogue is written as if the book was to be read by ten year olds, and I won’t lie when I say I would never in my life let my nephew (who is twelve) read this. It is far too much in its descriptions but it is far too little in its dialogues. For example: letters left behind by sisters for other sisters to find tend to have the ‘not cool’ and the almost ‘Generation Z’ bland/dumb vibe to them. It is a bad contrast to the beautiful folklorish atmosphere in which these horrific things take place. But it is not just the dialogue. In some cases within Iris’s observations, there are a great number of clichés which need revising. If this book is written for the age of pre-teens then it needs to have some of the heavier scenes taken out of it. Whereas, if it is written for older teens, then it needs revising in its dialogue and clichés of the generation need to be removed. It cannot have both. For that, I am deducting marks because these two faults take seriously important scenes of atmosphere away from the text in favour of ‘trendiness’.