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Dom sióstr marnotrawnych by Krystal Sutherland

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togethertomes's review against another edition

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5.0

Spooky af (from someone who doesn't usually read spooky shit).

roaming_library's review against another edition

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4.0

4.4 rounded down

Content Warning:

Spoiler

death/grief, death of children, violence/gore, mild body horror, Emetophobia warning, mentions of addiction, bullying, missing children, mentions of suicide and brief description of suicide, mentions of sexual harassment, on-page attempted sexual assault

I knew from the first page that I would like this book, but I am surprised by how much I loved it. This is the dark, fairytale-esq horror I never knew I wanted. The writing is gorgeous, the characters are dynamic, and the conflict was something I had never seen before.

I've read plenty of books about monsters, House of Hollow is a story told by the monsters. And that is the best part, reading this, following the father's grief, I could see how easy it would be to have a story in his point of view. He went through every parent's worse nightmare, he dedicated everything he had to taking how the Finish Later

chels4956's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

floherradon's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense

Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

marcusrigsby's review against another edition

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5.0

One of the best books that I read in 2022, and a rare example of a YA book that I enjoy as much for the writing as I do for its plot and character development.

You will probably like:
- Again. The writing! I have enjoyed many YA authors who are content if their writing is just easy to read, but now and again, I want more. So it was refreshing to come across an author who seems genuinely excited about the beauty of language and its power to transport readers to secret worlds. I feel like I can see, hear, taste, and smell (especially smell) every part of this story. Sutherland excels at describing smells, including strange, alien aromas that have no equivalents in real life. Her mastery of sensory detail makes her world feel vivid and disturbingly real.
- The pacing. The overarching mystery is tantalizing from the first chapter, and the steady pace at which it reveals its secrets quickly transforms turning the page into an addiction.
- At the center of the story is the relationship between three sisters (Iris, Vivi, and Grey), their connection and their separation. When they are together, their friendship feels like a safe haven in a world that is often patronizing and cruel. Without revealing too much, Grey goes missing near the beginning of the story, and clues seem to suggest that she has been killed by some extra-dimensional enemy. You don't want Grey to be dead. I rooted for the sisters' reunion -- right up until the devastating reveal that reframed the entire story.

These things could ruin the book for you:
- The story gets quite bloody and puke-y in the final chapters. Remember how I said Sutherland is good at describing tastes and smells? Be warned: You will likely feel nauseous right alongside the characters.
- Be warned also: The story does not have a happy ending. In fact, it's one of the most shocking and depressing that I've read in a long time. If you're in a place where plunging headlong into a body horror nightmare doesn't sound like fun to you, then you would be wise to shelve this one for a while.