Reviews tagging 'Biphobia'

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

2 reviews

bloomingrose92's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

While horror isn't really my thing, this book was incredibly well written. I particularly liked the descriptions that Sutherland gave. They provided a strong sense of rotting darkness throughout the book with novel phrases I'd never heard before.

And the twist of them not be chased by something that hides in the dark, but being the thing that hides in the dark was excellent. That they killed the three little Hollow girls, stole their bodies, then left them, unburied, as they took over the Hollow sisters' lives. I especially liked the line that Grey called out to the Hollow sisters for help, and they listened, because Grey was a little girl too. And the masked killer haunting them is actually the Hollow's father, coerced by their unholy magic to suicide, and refusing to pass on so that he can finally bring down his children's killers? Chef's kiss. I loved the detail of him finding his children's discarded bodies in the Halfway place, and making graves for them to finally rest. I have a particular fondness for protagonists putting everything they have into fighting a big bad, just to find out that they were the bad they were fighting. And the characterization of our protagonist in this book as a mousy bookworm who just wants to escape the weirdness of her past adds to the twist.

A well-written book, with unlikeable characters that only adds to the ultimate payoff.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Torture, Biphobia, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, Self harm, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Cursing, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault

sarahsbooklife's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I actually enjoyed what I did read, I'm just not feeling it right now. I think I might pick this book up again in autumn and closer to Halloween when the creepiness feels right. 
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UPDATE: So, I finished it and I really enjoyed it. It was a perfect mix of creepiness, horrifying and mysterious. With snippets of magic and folklore woven in.
I loved that at the center of this book was sisterly love. 
Also the plot twist at the end for who the villain was all along was brilliant. I loved that reveal. I really liked how this story was told and how it ended. But a part of me wants either a sequel or a short story about Vivi and Iris's next trip into the Halfway

to see if Tyler is still there and what Iris thinks she missed when they were last there.

I would 100% recommend reading this book if you like dark, creepy and imaginative stories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Death, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Biphobia, and Bullying

Minor: Death of parent, Medical content, Kidnapping, Drug use, Addiction, Child death, and Cursing